analogue

noun an·a·logue \ ˈa-nə-ˌlȯg , -ˌläg \

variants: or analog

|Updated on: 19 Aug 2018

Definition of analogue

1 : something that is similar or comparable to something else either in general or in some specific detail : something that is analogous to something else

historical analogues to the current situation

an aspirin analogue

2 : an organ or part similar in function to an organ or part of another animal or plant but different in structure and origin

The gill of a fish is the analogue of the lung of a cat.

3 usually analog : a chemical compound that is structurally similar to another but differs slightly in composition (as in the replacement of one atom by an atom of a different element or in the presence of a particular functional group)

4 : a food product made by combining a less expensive food (such as soybeans or whitefish) with additives to give the appearance and taste of a more expensive food (such as beef or crab)

See analogue defined for English-language learners

See analogue defined for kids

analogue was our Word of the Day on 03/02/2007. Hear the podcast!

Examples of analogue in a Sentence

a modern analog to what happened before
the synthetic analog of a chemical found in a tropical tree
a meat analogue such as tofu

Recent Examples of analogue from the Web

Junk’s Milken analogue Robert Merkin (Steven Pasquale) is a financial shark in the vein of Gordon Gekko, trying to take over a struggling steel company with investments fueled by the titular junk bonds.

— constance grady, Vox, "Your guide to the 17 most important nominees at this year’s Tonys," 7 June 2018
Then in February 2018, U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Menomonee Falls) introduced a similar SOFA Act in the House of Representatives that aims to save lives by fighting the spread of fentanyl analogues.

— evan frank, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "'I want to make a difference': An Oconomowoc resident ran a 50K ultra marathon to fight the opioid epidemic," 25 May 2018
In a 1999 policy paper, Senator Bob Smith entertained the idea, and the following year, a commission chaired by Donald Rumsfeld suggested making a Space Corps within the Air Force, an analogue to the Marine Corps within the U.S. Navy.

— National Geographic, "Would a U.S. Space Force Be Legal? Get the Facts.," 19 June 2018
One path Snap isn’t likely to pursue is making 3D Bitmoji more closely resemble their flesh-and-blood analogues.

— reggie ugwu, New York Times, "At Snapchat, Redrawing the Bounds of Reality," 14 June 2018
In some ways, our brains are one of the most old-fashioned, analogue storage devices out there.

— spencer kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Westworld’s Virtual Afterlife Might Not Be Fiction," 27 June 2018
The drug and closely related substances called analogues are a fixture in Chicago’s narcotics trade, pressed into phony prescription pills or mixed into heroin.

— john keilman, chicagotribune.com, "'Like finding a needle in a haystack': Agents trying to stop deadly opioid fentanyl from entering U.S. in tough battle," 12 June 2018
There are analogues and theatrical vocabulary for a lot of the stuff Baz was doing.

— christopher wallenberg, BostonGlobe.com, "A new ‘Moulin Rouge!’ for a new Colonial," 5 July 2018
In addition, dinosaurs lived in ecosystems that have no modern analogues, Maidment says.

— National Geographic, "Could Humans and Dinosaurs Coexist? Here's the Science.," 22 June 2018

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

Did You Know?

The word analogue entered English from French in the 19th century and ultimately traces back to the Greek word logos, meaning "ratio." (The word analogy, which has been a part of English since the 15th century, also descends from logos.) The noun analogue is sometimes spelled analog, particularly when it refers to a chemical compound that is structurally similar to another but slightly different in composition. Adding to the confusion, there is also an adjective spelled analog, which came into use in the 20th century. The adjective can refer to something that is analogous (as in an analog organ), but it is most often used to distinguish analog electronics from digital electronics (as in an analog computer or an analog clock).