analogy
UK[əˈnælədʒi]US[əˈnælədʒi]
n
a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.
n
a correspondence or partial similarity between two things on which a comparison may be based.
n
(logic) a process of reasoning from one particular to another, based on the assumption that if two things are alike in some respects, they will be alike in others.
Morpheme Breakdown
ana
log
y
ana
throughout, according to
log
word, reason, ratio
y
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'analogy' entered English in the late Middle Ages via Old French and Latin from the Greek analogia, meaning "proportion, correspondence." The Greek term itself is a compound of the prefix ana- ("throughout, according to") and logos ("word, reason, ratio"). The core logic of the word is the idea of a "reckoning according to a ratio" or a "correspondence of relations." This mathematical sense of proportion evolved in philosophical and rhetorical contexts to denote a comparison of relationships, where one thing is understood in terms of another based on a shared logic or pattern. Thus, the journey from the concrete Greek concept of mathematical proportion to the modern abstract meaning of illustrative comparison demonstrates how language formalizes the process of reasoning by similarity.
Analysis
Structure: ana (throughout, according to) + log (word, reason, ratio) + y (noun suffix)
- ana: a prefix of Greek origin meaning "up, back, again, throughout, according to."
- log: from Greek logos, meaning "word, speech, reason, principle, ratio."
- y: a noun-forming suffix of Greek origin (via Latin and French) indicating state, condition, or quality.
Examples
the teacher explained the function of the heart by drawing an analogy to a pump.
he used an analogy between the human brain and a complex computer network.
there is a clear analogy between the structure of an atom and our solar system.