What does analogical mean?
"Analogical" is an adjective describing anything based on or involving analogy — the practice of explaining or understanding one thing by pointing out its resemblance to another. When someone reasons analogically, they argue that because two situations share key features, what holds true of one likely holds true of the other; lawyers do this when citing precedent, scientists when modeling one system on another, and ordinary speakers whenever they use metaphor. The word also has a technical sense in linguistics, where it describes changes in language formed by imitation of existing patterns rather than by strict rule. Derived ultimately from the Greek "analogia," meaning proportion, it entered English usage around the seventeenth century alongside related terms such as "analogy" and "analogous." Formal and scholarly in register, "analogical" appears most often in philosophy, law, linguistics, and discussions of artificial intelligence, where "analogical reasoning" remains a central topic of study.
adjectiveOf, relating to, or based on analogy; expressing or involving a comparison between things that are alike in some respect.
- Relating to or based on analogy, especially as a form of reasoning that infers similarity between cases.
- (Linguistics) Describing change or formation in language modeled on existing patterns rather than on regular rules.
"The judge justified the ruling by drawing an analogical connection between this case and a landmark precedent."
"Her argument rested on an analogical comparison between the spread of a virus and the spread of misinformation online."
"In linguistics, the irregular verb was reshaped by analogical pressure from more common patterns."
When early AI researchers wanted machines to reason like humans, their first bet wasn't logic puzzles — it was analogical reasoning, the same mental move behind every metaphor you've ever used.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of analogical
"Analogical" traces back to the Greek "analogia," meaning proportion or mathematical ratio, a compound built on "ana-" ("according to") and "logos" ("ratio, reckoning"). Latin adopted the term as "analogia," and English derived both "analogy" and its adjective form during the early modern period, with the adjective attested by the seventeenth century. It shares its ultimate root with "analogous" and "analogue," all pointing to the idea of correspondence or proportion between unlike things.
Related word forms
How analogical is actually used
"Analogical" is largely a formal, academic term, most at home in philosophy, law, theology, linguistics, and cognitive science rather than everyday speech. In casual contexts people tend to say "by analogy" or "analogously" instead.
Easily confused with analogical
"Analogous" describes two things that are themselves alike in some way, while "analogical" describes reasoning or expression that is based on such a comparison.