What does analogous mean?
Analogous is an adjective describing things that are comparable in some significant respect — alike in function, role, or structure without being identical. When two situations are said to be analogous, the speaker is suggesting that what holds true of one may reasonably illuminate the other; lawyers argue from analogous cases, scientists describe the atom as analogous to the solar system, and economists compare markets across eras. The word typically appears with 'to' and carries an intellectual, explanatory connotation: it signals reasoned comparison rather than mere surface resemblance. In biology, analogous structures perform similar functions but evolved independently, unlike homologous ones that share common ancestry. Derived ultimately from Greek roots meaning 'proportionate' or 'according to due ratio', the word entered English in the early seventeenth century and remains indispensable wherever careful, structured comparison is required.
adjectiveComparable in certain respects, typically in a way that clarifies or illuminates something; corresponding in function or structure to something else but not identical in form or origin.
- Bearing a partial similarity or correspondence to something else, especially one useful for explanation or comparison (e.g. 'a situation analogous to war').
- Corresponding in function rather than evolutionary origin, as used in biology for structures with similar roles but different ancestry.
"The structure of an atom is often described as analogous to that of the solar system."
"The human heart functions as a pump, a role analogous to that of a mechanical circulatory device."
"Her argument drew on a case analogous to the current dispute, decided by the courts decades earlier."
The word 'analogous' comes from the same Greek root that gives us 'logic' — it literally means 'proportioned according to reason'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of analogous
Analogous derives from the Latin analogus, itself borrowed from Greek analogos, meaning 'proportionate' — formed from ana- ('according to') and logos ('ratio' or 'reason'). It was adopted into English in the early seventeenth century, initially in mathematical contexts concerning proportion before extending to general comparison. It shares this Greek root with analogy, analogue, and the modern computing term analog, all of which preserve the core idea of correspondence or proportion between unlike things.
Related word forms
How analogous is actually used
Formal to neutral register; frequent in academic, scientific, legal, and analytical writing. Often followed by 'to'. In biology, 'analogous' has a precise technical meaning distinct from 'homologous', so care is needed in that context.
Easily confused with analogous
Homologous means having the same origin or evolutionary ancestry (as in homologous structures in biology), whereas analogous means merely serving a similar function or bearing a likeness without shared origin.