What does "analyze" mean?
To subject to analysis.
Analyze
/ˈæn.ə.laɪz/ verb
verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To subject to analysis.
- Grammar: analyze is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: examine, study, academic research, acid base experiment.
- Useful contrasts: random guessing, fanboys, glances.
- Usage evidence: How would you analyze the situation?
How to use "analyze"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "analyze" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "analyze" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "analyze" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "analyze" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "analyze" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "examine" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "analyze", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To subject to analysis. US, transitive
"This section addresses the recent homeless backlash by reviewing and analyzing antihomeless legislation[…]"
- 2 subject to psychoanalytic treatment wordnet
- 3 To resolve (anything complex) into its elements. US, transitive
"analyze a problem"
- 4 make a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis of; break down into components or essential features wordnet
- 5 To separate into the constituent parts, for the purpose of an examination of each separately. US, transitive
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning wordnet
- 7 To examine in such a manner as to ascertain the elements or nature of the thing examined; as, to analyze a fossil substance, to analyze a sentence or a word, or to analyze an action to ascertain its morality. US, transitive
- 8 break down into components or essential features wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"How would you analyze the situation?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "analyze"?
Common synonyms include: examine, study, academic research, acid base experiment, adjective of process, aestheticize.
How do you use "analyze" in a sentence?
How would you analyze the situation?
How do you pronounce "analyze"?
Pronounced /ˈæn.ə.laɪz/.
Etymology
Probably a back-formation from analysis, or from Middle French analyser, from analyse, from Medieval Latin analysis, from Ancient Greek ἀνάλυσις (análusis, “a breaking up, a loosening, releasing”), from ἀναλύω (analúō, “to unloose, release, set free”), from ἀνά (aná, “on, up, above, throughout”) + λύσις (lúsis, “a loosening”), from λύω (lúō, “to unfasten”).