analyze

verb an·a·lyze \ ˈa-nə-ˌlīz \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: analyze in a Sentence

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

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analyzability

play \ˌa-nə-ˌlī-zə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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analyzable

play \ˈa-nə-ˌlī-zə-bəl\ adjective

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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

The Berkeley researchers helped build and deploy an open source tool that limits how much employees can learn about individual customers by analyzing rider data.

— tom simonite, WIRED, "How a Startup Is Using the Blockchain to Protect Your Privacy," 11 July 2018
The original request for bids went out last November, and the county spent months analyzing them.

— david gutman, The Seattle Times, "King County moves to allow affordable housing at future Northgate light-rail station," 9 July 2018
By analyzing 200 surgeries, anthropologists found that mixed-gender operating room teams exhibited the highest levels of cooperation.

— christopher intagliata, Scientific American, "Primate Conflicts Play Out in the Operating Room," 5 July 2018
The findings, made by analyzing data from the Cassini spacecraft, were published in a study Wednesday.

— doyle rice, ajc, "Ingredients for alien life found in icy geysers on Saturn's moon Enceladus," 29 June 2018
The findings, made by analyzing data from the Cassini spacecraft, were published in a study Wednesday.

— doyle rice, USA TODAY, "Ingredients for alien life found in icy geysers on Saturn's moon Enceladus," 28 June 2018
McLean says to decipher the wind direction by analyzing the smoke.

— jonathan olivier, Outside Online, "How to Escape a Wildfire When You're Hiking," 26 June 2018
Other scientists have identified grief in female baboons by analyzing their stress hormone levels before and after losing a close companion or infant.

— virginia morell, Science | AAAS, "Do dolphins feel grief?," 19 June 2018
By analyzing coyote scat, scientists have linked this behavioral change to dietary shifts from diurnal to nocturnal prey, with implications for small mammal communities and for competition with other predators.

— kaitlyn gaynor, CNN, "To avoid humans, more wildlife now work the night shift," 14 June 2018

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! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1587

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

analyze Synonyms

Synonyms

anatomize, assay, break down, cut, deconstruct, dissect;

Near Antonyms

agglomerate, aggregate, amalgamate, assimilate, coalesce, conglomerate, consolidate, integrate, synthesize, unify;

arrange, assort, catalog (or catalogue), categorize, classify, codify, diagram, enumerate, index, order, schematize, sort, tabulate;

divide, reduce, segment, separate, subdivide;

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

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