analogous
adjective
anal·o·gous
ə-ˈna-lə-gəs 
: similar or comparable to something else either in general or in some specific detail
Timbre in music is analogous to color in painting.—
Aaron Copland
Aaron CoplandAn airplane's joystick is somewhat analogous to the reins on a horse.
: similar in a way that invites comparison : showing an analogy or a likeness that permits one to draw an analogy
a town council and a government body that serves an analogous function
analogously
adverb
analogousness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of analogous in a Sentence
… gluons, force particles analogous to the photons of electromagnetism.
—Andrew Watson, Science, 22 Jan. 1999
… great stretches of algae, analogous to terrestrial woodlands, in which kelp fills the role of trees.
—William K. Stevens, New York Times, 5 Jan. 1999
… not by means superior to, though analogous with, human reason …
—Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, 1859
Andrew Watson, Science, 22 Jan. 1999
… great stretches of algae, analogous to terrestrial woodlands, in which kelp fills the role of trees.
—William K. Stevens, New York Times, 5 Jan. 1999
… not by means superior to, though analogous with, human reason …
—Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, 1859
Recent Examples on the Web
In these systems, circuit components called neurons—analogous to neurons in the human brain—are fed data and cooperate to solve a problem, such as recognizing faces.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 Apr. 2024
Though the situations are not exactly analogous, the inability to talk to more than one guild at a time may have been a factor in prolonging the strikes last year.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Mar. 2024
Learning from Analogies Companies building AI capabilities can also learn from how firms in analogous situations operate.
—Stephen Wunker, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
In the Biden campaign’s view, the off-year election results are more analogous than current polling to the resources, investment and direct communication with voters that will go into the elections next year.
—Seung Min Kim, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2023
The current excitement about technology and artificial intelligence (AI) is not analogous to the tech bubble because the current crop of large technology companies is incredibly profitable.
—Bill Stone, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Sharp-eyed observers might notice one popular ex-governor on this list who might be roughly analogous to Hogan.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024
Complementary colors, analogous colors and triadic colors are concepts worth exploring to find the perfect balance.
—Maeghan Dolph, Fox News, 21 Jan. 2024
There’s no analogous sort of tasks in any other art form.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Jan. 2024
IEEE Spectrum, 12 Apr. 2024
Though the situations are not exactly analogous, the inability to talk to more than one guild at a time may have been a factor in prolonging the strikes last year.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Mar. 2024
Learning from Analogies Companies building AI capabilities can also learn from how firms in analogous situations operate.
—Stephen Wunker, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
In the Biden campaign’s view, the off-year election results are more analogous than current polling to the resources, investment and direct communication with voters that will go into the elections next year.
—Seung Min Kim, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2023
The current excitement about technology and artificial intelligence (AI) is not analogous to the tech bubble because the current crop of large technology companies is incredibly profitable.
—Bill Stone, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Sharp-eyed observers might notice one popular ex-governor on this list who might be roughly analogous to Hogan.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2024
Complementary colors, analogous colors and triadic colors are concepts worth exploring to find the perfect balance.
—Maeghan Dolph, Fox News, 21 Jan. 2024
There’s no analogous sort of tasks in any other art form.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'analogous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near analogous
Cite this Entry
“Analogous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/analogous. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
analogous
adjective
anal·o·gous
ə-ˈnal-ə-gəs
1
: showing analogy : similar
the two stories are analogous
2
: related by analogy
analogously
adverb
analogousness
noun
Medical Definition
analogous
adjective
anal·o·gous
ə-ˈnal-ə-gəs
: having similar function but a different structure and origin
analogous organs
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