Words / C1

uh-NAL-uh-jee/əˈnælədʒi/

An analogy is a comparison that maps one situation onto another so the reader understands a relationship: A is to B as C is to D. Native teachers use analogies as tools, then warn where they break. A metaphor says X is Y; an analogy usually keeps “like” or “as” and teaches a structure. Analogous is the adjective.

Meaning

A comparison that shows how two things are similar in one useful way.

Examples

• “He explained memory with an analogy to a muscle.”
• “She used an analogy with traffic to explain bandwidth.”
• “The analogy with a thermostat only goes so far.”

Good to know

an analogy between/with. adjective: analogous. metaphor = “X is Y.”

Near in meaning

comparison

New