analytic

UK: /ˌænəˈlɪtɪk/ US: /ˌænəˈlɪtɪk/ ,(an′l it′ik)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

an•a•lyt•ic /ˌænəˈlɪtɪk/  or ˌan•aˈlyt•i•cal, adj. 

1. of or relating to analysis:
   analytic reasoning.
an•a•lyt•i•cal•ly, adv. See -lys-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

an•a•lyt•ic  (an′l it′ik), adj. 

1. pertaining to or proceeding by analysis (opposed to synthetic).
2. skilled in or habitually using analysis.
3. Linguistics (of a language) characterized by a relatively frequent use of function words, auxiliary verbs, and changes in word order to express syntactic relations, rather than of inflected forms. Cf. synthetic (def. 3), polysynthetic (def. 1).
4. Philosophy [Logic.] (of a proposition) necessarily true because its denial involves a contradiction, as "All husbands are married.''
5. Mathematics
   • Mathematics (of a function of a complex variable) having a first derivative at all points of a given domain;
     holomorphic;
     regular.
   • (of a curve) having parametric equations that represent analytic functions.
   • Mathematics (of a proof ) using analysis.

Also, an′a•lyt′i•cal. 

• Greek analȳtikós, equivalent. to analy- (see analysis) + -tikos -tic
• Medieval Latin analȳticus
• 1580–90

an′a•lyt′i•cal•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

analytic / ˌænəˈlɪtɪk/, analytical / ˌænəˈlɪtɪk^əl/ adjective

1. relating to analysis
2. capable of or given to analysing: an analytic mind
3. Also: isolating denoting languages, such as Chinese, whose morphology is characterized by analysis
   Compare synthetic3
4. (of a proposition) true by virtue of the meanings of the words alone without reference to the facts, as all spinsters are unmarried
5. true or false by virtue of meaning alone; so all spinsters are married is analytically false
   , a priori

Etymology: 16th Century: via Late Latin from Greek analutikos from analuein to dissolve, break down; see analysis

ˌanaˈlytically adverb