Meaning & use
analogous
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparableformal
Similar enough in some key way to allow a useful comparison between two things.
Grammar: Usually followed by to: A situation analogous to this one.
Patterns
- analogous to something
- analogous with something
The heart is analogous to a pump in many ways.
Her situation is analogous to the one we faced last year.
The two legal cases are analogous, so the same rule applies.
adjectivenot comparablebiologytechnical
Having a similar function but a different origin, as with the wings of birds and insects.
Grammar: Biology term, usually contrasted with homologous.
Patterns
- analogous structures
Bird wings and insect wings are analogous structures.
Analogous organs serve a similar job but evolved separately.
The eyes of squid and humans are an analogous pair.
Word forms
| comparative | more analogous |
|---|---|
| superlative | most analogous |
Common combinations
- analogous to
- The brain is sometimes said to be analogous to a computer.
- analogous situation
- An analogous situation arose in the 1990s.
- closely analogous
- The two processes are closely analogous.
- analogous case
- The judge cited an analogous case from last decade.
- roughly analogous
- Her role is roughly analogous to a coach.
- analogous structures
- Analogous structures can evolve in unrelated species.
Synonyms and how they differ
- comparable
- Comparable is more general and may just mean able to be compared, while analogous points to a shared pattern or function.
- similar
- Similar is the everyday word and does not suggest an explanatory comparison.
- parallel
- Parallel stresses two things developing alongside each other in the same way.
- equivalent
- Equivalent suggests equal value or effect, a stronger claim than analogous.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: analogous or homologous?
analogous vs homologous
Homologous structures share a common origin, while analogous ones only share function.
Practice
A teacher says the heart is ___ a pump. Which choice completes the sentence?
Choose one answer.
Analogous takes the preposition 'to' for the thing being compared. 'Of', 'for' and 'at' do not form the pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “analogous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.