analysis

noun

anal·​y·​sis ə-ˈna-lə-səs How to pronounce analysis (audio)
plural analyses ə-ˈna-lə-ˌsēz How to pronounce analysis (audio)
1
a
: 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
3
a
: 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
5
: psychoanalysis
a patient who is in/undergoing analysis
6
a
: 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

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 Based on the Attorney General's Office analysis, rents in the Phoenix area set via the RealPage algorithm were 12% higher than other units. Catherine Reagor, The Arizona Republic, 11 Mar. 2024 In fact, the Socialist concession oddly came just before the party pulled slightly ahead again in the official count with less than 1 percent of the vote to go, though its leader said an analysis of outstanding ballots suggested his party would lose. Catarina Fernandes Martins, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 Household paper products and snacks are the most common items that manufacturers downsize, according to a bureau analysis that looked at changes between 2015 and 2021. Tami Luhby, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Sign up for the Avalanche Insider to get all our NHL analysis. Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2024 Winter was weirdly warm for half the world’s population, driven in many places by the burning of fossil fuels, according to an analysis of temperature data from hundreds of locations worldwide. Dionne Searcey, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 According to one analysis, the cost of a new solar farm or an offshore wind project could rise by a third if rates rise from 3% to 7%. Samanth Subramanian, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024 The form travels in one direction, from me to you, offering no path to analysis, critique, or, God forbid, argument. Lauren Oyler, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2024 The Times raised other issues with LAHSA’s analysis, reporting that, in many locations, the conditions on the ground were very different from those identified by the homeless agency. David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'analysis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin, borrowed from Greek análysis "loosing, releasing, breaking something down into its elements, solution of a problem," from analýein "to loosen, undo, dissolve, resolve into constituent elements," from ana- ana- + lýein "to loosen, undo" — more at lose

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of analysis was in 1581

Dictionary Entries Near analysis

Cite this Entry

“Analysis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/analysis. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

analysis

noun
anal·​y·​sis ə-ˈnal-ə-səs How to pronounce analysis (audio)
plural analyses -ə-ˌsēz How to pronounce analysis (audio)
1
a
: an examination of a whole to discover its elements and their relations
b
: a statement of such an analysis
2
: an explanation of the nature and meaning of something
analysis of the news
3
: the identification or separation of the parts of a substance
4
Etymology

derived from Greek, from analyein "to break up," from ana- "up" and lyein "to loosen"

Medical Definition

analysis

noun
anal·​y·​sis ə-ˈnal-ə-səs How to pronounce analysis (audio)
plural analyses -ˌsēz How to pronounce analysis (audio)
1
: separation of a whole into its component parts
2
a
: the identification or separation of ingredients of a substance
b
: a statement of the constituents of a mixture
3

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