Definition of ANALOGS (original) (raw)
1
a
: of, relating to, or being a mechanism or device in which information is represented by continuously variable physical quantities
Your speakers are analog technology in all its nearly century-old glory … . As the speakers get their signals from the cables, the drivers vibrate in a continual state of flux as the changing analog signals are fed to them. The drivers are presenting an analogy of what came from the original source, even if the source started off digital, such as a CD.—
Ron Goldberg
b
: of or relating to an [analog computer](/dictionary/analog computer)
In an analog machine each number is represented by a suitable physical quantity, whose value, measured in some pre-assigned unit, is equal to the number in question.—The World Treasury Of Physics
c
of a timepiece : having both hour and minute hands
d
: not digital : not computerized
Of course, it's possible to meet someone online, but it's just as tough as the old, analog ways.—Anita Hamilton
variant spelling of analogue entry 1
1
: something that is similar or comparable to something else either in general or in some specific detail : something that is analogous to something else
historical analogues to the current situation
2
: an organ or part similar in function to an organ or part of another animal or plant but different in structure and origin
The gill of a fish is the analogue of the lung of a cat.
3
usually analog : a chemical compound that is structurally similar to another but differs slightly in composition (as in the replacement of one atom by an atom of a different element or in the presence of a particular functional group)
4
: a food product made by combining a less expensive food (such as soybeans or whitefish) with additives to give the appearance and taste of a more expensive food (such as beef or crab)
Examples of analog in a Sentence
Adjective
Telephone lines carry data in analog form. It receives an analog video signal and converts it to a digital signal.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But Spivack says that even if the library broke into pieces, their analysis shows that these fragments would be large enough to retrieve most of the analog information in the first four layers. —Daniel Oberhaus, WIRED, 5 Aug. 2019 When digital technology came about, Fitzgerald said, many companies no longer saw the use in putting up with the hassle of keeping analog booths alive, ultimately replacing analog chemistry tanks with instant digital printouts. —Lilly Umana, NBC News, 24 Dec. 2024
The borough’s revered natural settings also double as a source of entertainment, from High Mountain Park’s hiking trails to Parson Pond Park’s baseball fields and tennis courts that make for good old-fashioned, analog fun. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2025 Is this another case of a future not only dire but strange, without a narrative to join past to present or an analog for what is to come? —Stephen Pyne, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for analog 
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
from attributive use of analogue entry 1; (sense 1) after [analog computer](/dictionary/analog computer), in which physical quantities (as electrical potential or mechanical motion) are analogues of corresponding quantities in the problem to be solved
First Known Use
Adjective
1844, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Time Traveler
The first known use of analog was in 1844
Dictionary Entries Near analog
Cite this Entry
“Analog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/analog. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 14 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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