analyze

play

verb an·a·lyze \ˈa-nə-ˌlīz\

Definition of analyze

analyzed

;

analyzing

transitive verb
1 : to study or determine the nature and relationship of the parts of (something) by analysis
2 : to subject to scientific or grammatical analysis chemically analyze a specimen analyze a sentence
3 : psychoanalyze

analyzability

play \ˌa-nə-ˌlī-zə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

analyzable

play \ˈa-nə-ˌlī-zə-bəl\ adjective

analyzer

play \-ˌlī-zər\ noun

See analyze defined for English-language learners

See analyze defined for kids

Examples of analyze in a Sentence

While Wroe offers some basic biographical information and quotes copiously from Shelley's writings, she does not tell a chronological story or analyze individual poems. —Adam Kirsch, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2007
They are not doing the math. Doing the math would mean demonstrating that the voters' intuitive judgments are roughly what they would get if they analyzed the likely effects of candidates' policies, and this is a difficult calculation to perform. —Louis Menand, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2004
Ms. Magazine's online daily weblog, written by Christine Cupaiuolo, analyzes the representation of women in media and popular culture. Here are excerpts from recent postings. —Ms., Fall 2003
The data was recorded and analyzed by computer.
We took the sample to be chemically analyzed by a lab.
Researchers are busy analyzing the results of the study.
The bacteria were analyzed under a powerful microscope.

Recent Examples of analyze from the Web

Scientists analyzed the chemical makeup of pier pieces from locations throughout Italy and assessed historical writings about ancient Roman sea structures to learn more about the tough material.

— erin blakemore, Smithsonian, "Why Ancient Roman Concrete Is So Strong", 6 July 2017
The study, funded by IAAF and the World Anti-Doping Agency, and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analyzed more than 2,100 androgen samples from athletes participating in the 2011 and 2013 world championships.

— eddie pells, The Seattle Times, "Study finds women with more testosterone get large boost", 3 July 2017
Military officials were still analyzing flight data to determine what type of missile had been used.

— choe sang-hun, New York Times, "North Korea Fires Another Missile Amid Rising Tensions With U.S.", 3 July 2017
The study analyzed 4,763 rape kits in Los Angeles County that got tested over the objections of police as part of a new policy.

— david garrick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego police, council clash over rape kit testing", 30 June 2017
PhD student, Rodolfo Mesa, analyzes chemical compound levels extracted through FPSE.

— ayanna runcie, miamiherald, "Using fabric, FIU researchers find fast new way to test for chemicals", 28 June 2017
Researchers from Notre Dame and the University of Kentucky analyzed ISTEP state assessment scores from around 3,300 students between third and eighth grade qualifying for free or reduced lunch in Indianapolis between 2011-12 and 2014-15.

— meredith colias, Post-Tribune, "Study: Math scores drop, rebound for some voucher students", 27 June 2017
In negotiations, Amazon spent a lot of time analyzing Whole Foods' distribution technology, and experts say the most immediate changes would likely be in warehouses that customers never see.

— Bloomberg.com, "Your Evening Briefing", 26 June 2017
Ball, who has used similar models to document human rights violations from Syria to Guatemala, soon invited Data Cívica, a Mexico City–based nonprofit that creates tools for analyzing data, to join the project.

— lizzie wade, Science | AAAS, "Mapping Mexico’s hidden graves", 26 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of analyze

probably irregular from analysis

NEW!

First Known Use: 1587

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of analyze

analyze, dissect, break down mean to divide a complex whole into its parts or elements. analyze suggests separating or distinguishing the component parts of something (such as a substance, a process, a situation) so as to discover its true nature or inner relationships. analyzed the collected data dissect suggests a searching analysis by laying bare parts or pieces for individual scrutiny. commentators dissected every word of the speech break down implies a reducing to simpler parts or divisions. break down the budget

ANALYZE Defined for English Language Learners

analyze

play

verb

Definition of analyze for English Language Learners

: to study (something) closely and carefully : to learn the nature and relationship of the parts of (something) by a close and careful examination
: to study the emotions and thoughts of (someone) by using psychoanalysis

ANALYZE Defined for Kids

analyze

play

verb an·a·lyze \ˈa-nə-ˌlīz\

Definition of analyze for Students

analyzed

;

analyzing

1 : to examine something to find out what it is or what makes it work The bacteria were analyzed under a powerful microscope.
2 : to study carefully to understand the nature or meaning of analyze a problem