noun
analysis
uh-NAL-uh-sis/əˈnæləsɪs/
Detailed examination of something to understand it.
The scientist's analysis of the soil samples involves careful examination with a lens.
Etymology
The image is of loosening something up: a complex whole is broken into simpler elements. This became the intellectual process of examining those parts and how they relate.
In context
before you start writing whatever you need to do focus on understanding the story or the piece of writing or the piece of literature first if you're writing a literary analysis of flowers by Miley Cyrus
More examples
- Her literary analysis examines the poem's changing voice.
- The laboratory completes an analysis of the water sample.
- Two independent analyses reach similar conclusions.
Forms
analysis · analyses
analyze verb — To examine something carefully to understand it.
analytical adjective — Using detailed examination and careful reasoning.
Similar words
- examination
- Broader; may involve inspection without explaining underlying structure.
- interpretation
- Emphasizes assigning meaning rather than breaking something into parts.