Meaning & use
analyze
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
To study something carefully by examining its parts and how they relate.
Grammar: Takes an object: analyze the data; the noun analysis is the act or result.
Patterns
- analyze something
- analyze data/results
- analyze how/why something happens
Researchers will analyze the samples in the laboratory.
We need to analyze why sales fell in March.
The coach analyzed the game before practice.
verbtransitivechemistrytechnical
To separate a substance into its parts in order to identify or measure them.
Grammar: Still transitive, but the object is a chemical, sample, or compound rather than an idea.
Patterns
- analyze a sample
- analyze a compound
- analyze blood for something
Technicians analyze water samples for lead.
The lab can analyze the compound using spectrometry.
Doctors analyzed the blood test for signs of infection.
Word forms
| third person singular | analyzes |
|---|---|
| past tense | analyzed |
| past participle | analyzed |
| -ing form | analyzing |
Common combinations
- analyze data
- Students learned to analyze data before making a claim.
- analyze a problem
- First analyze the problem; then list possible solutions.
- analyze results
- The committee met to analyze the survey results.
- carefully analyze
- Please carefully analyze the risks before investing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- examine
- Examine means inspect or look closely; analyze goes further by explaining relationships and causes.
- study
- Study is broader and can be general; analyze suggests systematic breakdown of parts.
- break down
- Break down is informal and emphasizes separating into parts; analyze is more formal and academic.
Opposites
Word family
- analysis noun
- The careful study of parts and relationships, or its result.
- analyst noun
- A person who analyzes information, markets, systems, or data.
- analytic adjective
- Using careful logical analysis; also used in mathematics and philosophy.
- analytical adjective
- Skilled at or related to analyzing ideas and evidence.
- analytically adverb
- In an analytical way.
Commonly confused: analyze or analyse? analyze or analyses?
analyze vs analyse
Analyse is the standard British spelling; analyze is standard American English.
analyze vs analyses
Analyses is the plural noun or third-person verb form; analyze is the base verb.
Practice
Which sentence uses the correct form after will?
Choose one answer.
After will, use the base verb analyze. Analysis is a noun, analyses is plural/third person, and analyzed is past tense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “analyze”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.