meta-analysis

noun

meta-anal·​y·​sis ˌme-tə-ə-ˈna-lə-səs 

: a quantitative statistical analysis of several separate but similar experiments or studies in order to test the pooled data for statistical significance

Examples of meta-analysis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The study, published in Frontiers in Oncology last week, is a comprehensive meta-analysis that evaluates the therapeutic potential and safety of medical cannabis in the context of cancer treatment. —Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025

Hungarian researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 50 previous studies that included more than 1.3 million participants, focusing on vitamin D’s potential effects on cancer risk, immunity and inflammation. —Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2025

Each of those studies was itself a meta-analysis, based on an examination of data from a number of other prior independent studies. —Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 14 Apr. 2025

That’s a question researchers from two Texas universities sought to answer in a new meta-analysis study, a review of previous studies, published Monday in the journal Nature Human Behavior. —Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for meta-analysis

• haemodialysis
• hemodialysis
• microanalysis
• psychoanalysis
• analysis
• dialysis
• paralysis
• cryptanalysis
• urinalysis
• electrodialysis

Medical Definition

meta-analysis

noun

meta-anal·​y·​sis ˌmet-ə-ə-ˈnal-ə-səs 

: quantitative statistical analysis that is applied to separate but similar experiments of different and usually independent researchers and that involves pooling the data and using the pooled data to test the effectiveness of the results

the report … on low cholesterol presented a comprehensive meta-analysis of 32 randomized studies involving 42,000 individuals

—Scientific American Medicine Bulletin