analysis

noun

anal·y·sis | \ ə-ˈna-lə-səs

plural analyses\ -ˌsēz

Definition of analysis

1a : a detailed examination of anything complex in order to understand its nature or to determine its essential features : a thorough study doing a careful analysis of the problem

b : a statement of such an examination

2 : separation of a whole into its component parts

3a : the identification or separation of ingredients of a substance a chemical analysis of the soil

b : a statement of the constituents of a mixture

4 mathematics

a : proof of a mathematical proposition by assuming the result and deducing a valid statement by a series of reversible steps

b(1) : a branch of mathematics concerned mainly with limits, continuity, and infinite series

(2) : calculus sense 1b

5 : psychoanalysis a patient who is in/undergoing analysis

6a : a method in philosophy of resolving complex expressions into simpler or more basic ones

b : clarification of an expression by an elucidation of its use in discourse

7 linguistics : the use of function words instead of inflectional forms as a characteristic device of a language

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about analysis

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Examples of analysis in a Sentence

His analyses expose hidden fractures with the clarity of an X-ray, and his rhetorical skill, though modulated in a journalistic style, owes much to the give and take of Euripides' crisp dialogue. — G. W. Bowersock, New York Review of Books, 6 Nov. 2008 In order to depict economic decisions mathematically, economists needed to assume that human behavior is both rational and predictable. They imagined a representative human, Homo economicus, endowed with consistent preferences, stable moods, and an enviable ability to make only rational decisions. This sleight of hand yielded some theories that had genuine predictive value, but economists were obliged to exclude from their analyses many phenomena that didn't fit the … framework, such as stock-market bubbles, drug addiction, and compulsive shopping. — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 18 Sept. 2006 Thus little more than a month before the convention was due to assemble in Philadelphia, James Madison fashioned a powerful and comprehensive analysis of the problems of federalism and republicanism. — Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings, 1996 Thanks to some pioneering studies, and an increasing body of editions, translations, and detailed analyses, we now have a good general picture of the spiritual culture of late-medieval women on the Continent, especially in the Low Countries and Germany. — Nicholas Watsons, Speculum, July 1993 a scientific analysis of the data make a chemical analysis of the soil a detailed analysis of the bone structure of horses performing chemical analysis of the soil The newspaper printed an analysis of each candidate's positions. That's not a bad analysis of the situation. It's a problem that requires careful analysis. He has been in analysis for many years.

Recent Examples on the Web

Blood, bits of tissue, and feather fragments are sent worldwide to the Smithsonian Institution for species identification, including the use of DNA and microscopic feather analysis. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The F-35 Runs Into Another Expensive Problem: Birds," 15 May 2019 And women get far more bad press than their male peers, per a recent analysis from Northeastern University’s School of Journalism. — Melanie Hamlett, Glamour, "America Loves a Loser (As Long As He's White and Male)," 17 Apr. 2019 Want smart analysis of the most important news in your inbox every weekday along with other global reads, interesting ideas and opinions to know? — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, "Trump clashes with Europe ahead of Putin summit," 13 July 2018 Fischer and her team must also be certain the detectors and analysis software don’t register non-existent threats and create false alarms. — Dan Dubno, Popular Mechanics, "How We'll Stop Chemical Attacks," 28 Apr. 2019 The data group is working closely with Morgan Stanley’s AI team to make sure AI algorithms in areas such as commercial real-estate loan analysis, fraud detection and virtual wealth management advisory services are using the appropriate data. — Sara Castellanos, WSJ, "Morgan Stanley Center of Excellence Readies Bank for AI’s Data Demands," 22 Apr. 2019 Fyre is more atmospheric and cinematic than Fyre Fraud, which has more meta-analysis and outsider commentary (for example, from New Yorker critic Jia Tolentino) on what Fyre means in our current economic and sociopolitical moment. — Bridget Read, Vogue, "Which Fyre Festival Documentary Should You Watch: Hulu or Netflix?," 15 Jan. 2019 In Manne’s analysis, our society isn’t merely biased against women, but rather actively generates backlash against women who challenge men and male dominance. — Zack Beauchamp, Vox, "The 9 thinkers who made sense of 2018’s chaos," 27 Dec. 2018 Using these analyses to pinpoint potential outbreak hot spots allows health care organizations and governments to direct resources to that area. — Mallory Locklear, Discover Magazine, "With Big Data and Predictive Analytics, Scientists Are Getting Smarter About Outbreaks," 8 Nov. 2018

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