analogous

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "analogous" is correct and usable in written English.
It is used to describe something that is similar in certain ways, usually to another thing that may be more easily understood. For example, you could say "The relationship between a father and son is analogous to a teacher and student."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"One analogy that was used, and I can't exactly remember where this came from, is that it was a bit analogous to moving house.

The Guardian

But in an analogous way Moscow is now lending them support, political and financial, thereby boosting European neo-fascism.

The Guardian - Opinion

They voice concerns that should she win the presidency with progressive support, Clinton would fail to implement a progressive agenda – analogous to how Barack Obama campaigned, twice, on a vow to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, but has not.

The Guardian

Commentators citing first-year economics talked about the benefits of competition and free trade as if selling a natural resource once and for all was analogous to the market for coffee and as if benefits to foreign steel mills should be of concern to Australian taxpayers.

The Guardian - Opinion

Intensely seasonal, with each plate composed in the manner of a painting, kaiseki helps illustrate a sophisticated and evolving theory of Japanese cooking that is roughly analogous to Western haute cuisine.

The New York Times - Food

Conrad explained that the particles would be analogous to sending thousands of doctors down into the population of a large city to monitor what is going on with individuals, describing current medical techniques as having one doctor fly over the city it in a helicopter trying to see what's causing issues with individual people.

The Guardian - Tech

The requested message was in support of gay marriage and in no way analogous to discriminatory statements demanding that "Muslims go home", or containing an "anti-Catholic tirade".

The Guardian

Today the internet provides the virtual global landscape for an analogous struggle".

The Guardian

In a statement issued within hours of the piece's publication, the Vatican spokesman, Federico Lombardi, said: "As has happened previously in an analogous situation, it needs to be noted that that which Scalfari attributes to the pope, by putting his words into inverted commas, is the product of his memory as an expert journalist, but not the precise transcription of a recording".

The Guardian

However, she wilfully ignores what it means to cover schoolgirls' faces: the face-veil is no more just "a scrap of fabric" than a gag is, it is an iconic manifestation of an ideology which holds that women's faces are analogous to their genitals as a source of shame which must be hidden from all men other than their husbands.

The Guardian

They said why don't you make it an analogous play and look at the white working-class extremes in those northern cities, too.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "analogous" when highlighting a specific point of comparison between two distinct things, particularly when illustrating a complex concept by relating it to something more familiar.

Common error

Avoid using "analogous" when the relationship is one of direct equivalence or identity. "Analogous" implies a partial similarity that aids understanding, not a complete match.

Linguistic Context

The adjective "analogous" functions primarily as a descriptive term, highlighting similarities between two distinct entities or concepts. As Ludwig AI indicates, the word suggests a correspondence that aids in understanding complex relationships.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Formal & Business

25%

Science

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the adjective "analogous" is a versatile term used to draw comparisons between distinct entities. As Ludwig AI states, it serves to clarify concepts by relating them to more familiar ideas. The term sees frequent use in News & Media, Formal & Business, and Science contexts, demonstrating its broad applicability. While "analogous" is grammatically correct, it is important to use it to emphasize partial or helpful similarity instead of direct equivalence.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

similar

Indicates a general resemblance without necessarily implying a deep or structural connection.

comparable

Suggests that two things can be compared and found to have notable similarities.

equivalent

Implies that two things are virtually the same in function or meaning, though not necessarily in appearance.

akin

Signifies a close relationship or resemblance, often implying a shared origin or nature.

related

Indicates a connection or association, but may not specify the nature or degree of similarity.

parallel

Highlights a correspondence or resemblance in direction, course, or tendency.

correspondent

Stresses a direct relationship or similarity in detail or function.

homologous

Used in biology to describe structures with a shared ancestry, applicable in other fields to denote similar origin or development.

resembling

Simply states that something has qualities that are like another, without further implications.

commensurate

Indicates that two things are proportional or equivalent, especially in terms of size or degree.

FAQs

How to use "analogous" in a sentence?

Use "analogous" to draw a comparison between two things that share similar aspects or functions. For example, "The heart is analogous to a pump in its function of circulating blood."

What can I say instead of "analogous"?

You can use alternatives like "similar", "comparable", or "related" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "analogous to" or "analogous with"?

"Analogous to" is generally preferred and more common. While "analogous with" is not incorrect, it is used less frequently.

What's the difference between "analogous" and "homologous"?

"Analogous" refers to similarity in function or appearance, regardless of origin. "Homologous", particularly in biology, refers to structures with a shared evolutionary origin, even if their function differs.