analogous
analogous Lexical Profile
analogous Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Comparable in certain respects, typically in a way that makes clearer the nature of the things compared.
"The human heart's pumping mechanism is roughly analogous to a mechanical hydraulic pump."
(Of biological organs or structures) performing a similar function but having a different evolutionary origin.
"The wings of bats and the wings of butterflies are analogous structures that evolved independently for flight."
Word Nuance & Usage
In evolutionary biology, 'analogous' is strictly contrasted with 'homologous': analogous structures (like bird wings and insect wings) perform similar functions but evolved independently, whereas homologous structures share a common ancestral origin.
• Rhymes for analogous
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-17th century from Latin 'analogus', from Ancient Greek 'analogos' ('proportionate, according to due ratio'), formed from 'ana-' ('according to') and 'logos' ('ratio, proportion').