analogous

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adjective anal·o·gous \ə-ˈna-lə-gəs\

Definition of analogous

1 : susceptible of comparison either in general or in some specific detail : showing an analogy or a likeness that permits one to draw an analogy An airplane's joystick is somewhat analogous to the reins on a horse.
2 : being or related to as an analogue

analogously

adverb

analogousness

noun

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Examples of analogous in a Sentence

… gluons, force particles analogous to the photons of electromagnetism. —Andrew Watson, Science, 22 Jan. 1999
… great stretches of algae, analogous to terrestrial woodlands, in which kelp fills the role of trees. —William K. Stevens, New York Times, 5 Jan. 1999
… not by means superior to, though analogous with, human reason … —Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, 1859

Recent Examples of analogous from the Web

This is not to say that localism at the municipal level and federalism are precisely analogous.

— max bloom, National Review, "Let Liberal Cities Do What They Want," 13 July 2017
The humpbacks' movement is analogous to a person standing with her arms outstretched, swinging them inward until the palms meet in front of her chest, and spreading them wide again.

— carrie arnold, National Geographic, "Rare Video Captures Never-Before-Seen Whale Behavior," 12 July 2017
The concept’s wide-body stance and Panamericana grille suggests that an AMG version also might be in the works, analogous to the current Mercedes-AMG CLA45.

— joe lorio, Car and Driver, "Upcoming Mercedes-Benz A-class Sedan Is All About That Base," 19 June 2017
In each instance, the circumstances and underlying factors were hardly analogous, but serve as a warning of what could happen should a combination of a poor political atmosphere and unprepared or underfunded candidates show up next fall.

— phil mattingly, CNN, "Inside Paul Ryan's fundraising plan to keep the House majority," 5 June 2017
But none of those examples are directly analogous to Puerto Rico, where residents carry U.S. passports but live in social and economic conditions in some ways more akin to those in Latin America.

— bloomberg news, The Denver Post, "`I had to choose for my family’: Thousands fleeing Puerto Rico," 2 June 2017
The great conservative English thinker Michael Oakeshott (1901-1990) expounded on the dangers of thinking of political activity as analogous to military life.

— jeet heer, New Republic, "Why Conservative Intellectuals Are Pledging Loyalty to General Trump," 31 May 2017
Indeed, some Filipinos have referred to Pulido’s enslavement as analogous to that of an alipin sagigilid.

— vicente rafael, The Atlantic, "Lola’s Resistant Dignity," 31 May 2017
OK, so maybe the freedom to buy booze in the grocery store aisles isn't quite analogous to the overthrow of communist regimes in eastern Europe.

— dan sweeney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Scott signs 16 bills into law," 24 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'analogous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of analogous

Latin analogus, from Greek analogos, literally, proportionate, from ana- + logos reason, ratio, from legein to gather, speak — more at legend

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First Known Use: 1646

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of analogous

similar, analogous, parallel mean closely resembling each other. similar implies the possibility of being mistaken for each other. all the houses in the development are similar analogous applies to things belonging in essentially different categories but nevertheless having many similarities. analogous political systems parallel suggests a marked likeness in the development of two things. the parallel careers of two movie stars