analysis

noun

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anal·y·sis | \ ə-ˈna-lə-səs

plural analyses\ ə-ˈna-lə-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 Phrases Containing analysis Learn More About analysis

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web But according to analysis by NASA, a lack of infrastructure is one of the largest barriers to that growth. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 2 May 2022 Multnomah County spent about $20 million on overtime last year, according to an analysis of 2021 employee payroll data. — oregonlive, 1 May 2022 Conservative accounts gained followers, according to an analysis by the social media analytics firm Social Blade and the tech site the Verge. — Will Oremus, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Apr. 2022 Conservative accounts gained followers, according to an analysis by the social media analytics firm Social Blade and tech site The Verge. — Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2022 The Missouri legislation is projected to allow more than 182,000 households with senior, disabled or homeless members to use their food stamps at restaurants, according to an analysis by the legislative research office. — David A. Lieb, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2022 According to an analysis by planning and design company SE Group, however, the upgrades will not impact the demand for parking. — Julie Jag, The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 Apr. 2022 The map could add four GOP seats to Florida’s U.S. House delegation, which would result in 20 Republican and eight Democratic representatives, according to an analysis by David Wasserman of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. — Alexa Corse, WSJ, 22 Apr. 2022 The pandemic delayed executions in many states, including Tennessee, though annual execution numbers have been generally decreasing since the early 2000s, according to an analysis from the Death Penalty Information Center. — Jamiel Lynch And Emma Tucker, CNN, 21 Apr. 2022 See More

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.

History and Etymology for analysis

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