Definition of ANALOGUES (original) (raw)
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)
chiefly British spelling of
Did you know?
Analogue is a handy word for something that is similar to something else in design, origin, use, etc., as in “tofu is a meat analogue.” Like its relations analogy and analogous, it traces back ultimately to the Greek word lógos, meaning “word,” “speech,” “relation,” “correspondence,” and “proportion.” Not to get too meta about analogue, but the nouns analogue and analog are themselves analogues (or, ahem, analogs) of one another: they differ only in spelling, though the analogue spelling is more common except in contexts related to chemistry. The pair also function as adjectives—as in “an analog watch” or “analog recording”—but in that case the shorter form is preferred except by those who use British English.
Examples of analogue in a Sentence
Noun
a modern analog to what happened before the synthetic analog of a chemical found in a tropical tree a meat analogue such as tofu
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.
In a recent paper submitted to the journal Astrobiology, scientists scoured Earth for potential analogues to Martian environments, searching for methanogens thriving in conditions similar to those on Mars. —
Paul Sutter, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2025 At Tate Modern on the Southbank, art lovers seeking an analogue, pre-Internet experience should check out ‘Electric Dreams: Art and Technology Before the Internet’. —Lee Sharrock, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024 The motifs and landscapes were drawn from analogue photographs taken by Thuesen over the past decade. —Sofia Celeste, WWD, 12 Dec. 2024 But Simmons spends much of the film trapped in an Art Nouveau dome behind Saw-green glass, incapacitated by a magical mist wielded by the film’s Scarlet Witch analogue. —Katie Rife, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for analogue 
Word History
Etymology
Noun
borrowed from French, borrowed from Greek análogon "proportion, correspondence," noun derivative from neuter of análogos "proportionate, analogous"
First Known Use
Noun
1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of analogue was in 1804
Dictionary Entries Near analogue
Cite this Entry
“Analogue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/analogue. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
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Last Updated: 8 Feb 2025 - Updated example sentences
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