analogy
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a comparison between two things that are similar in some way, often used to help someone understand a difficult idea.
a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification. Often functions as a rhetorical device where a complex system is mapped onto a simpler one.
Simple“The teacher used the analogy of a busy motorway to explain how the internet works.”
In context“To explain the concept of electrical current to the students, the professor drew an analogy between the flow of electrons and water moving through a pipe.”
UsageCommonly used with the verbs 'draw', 'make', or 'use' and the preposition 'between'.
PitfallHe made an analogy of the human brain and a computer. He drew an analogy between the human brain and a computer.We usually 'draw' or 'make' an analogy 'between' two things.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the way new words or grammar rules are created based on patterns that already exist in a language.
the process by which words or forms are created or reformed according to existing patterns in a language. This often explains why irregular verbs sometimes become regular over time.
Simple“Children often say 'buyed' instead of 'bought' because they are following the analogy of other past tense verbs.”
In context“Historical linguists often cite analogy as a primary driver for morphological change, as speakers unconsciously apply productive patterns to irregular lexical items.”
UsageIn linguistics, this is often an uncountable process.
Synonymsregularizationpatterning
Usage draw analogy · use analogy
“I don't think I have to take the last shot, to use a basketball analogy.”
“Since I was little, if I couldn’t understand an emotion, I used scientific examples and historical events as analogies and metaphors to explain my emotional state.”
From Latin analogia, from Ancient Greek ἀναλογίᾱ (analogíā), from ἀνα- (ana-) + λόγος (lógos, “speech, reckoning”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.