analysis

The word “analysis” means a careful, detailed examination of something in order to understand it or explain its parts. In plain terms, breaking something down carefully to understand how it works or what it means.

“Analysis” is pronounced uh-NA-luh-sihs (/əˈnæləsɪs/ in IPA).

Here is “analysis” used in a sentence: “Her analysis of the data revealed a clear seasonal pattern.”

The opposite of “analysis” — its antonyms — is synthesis.

“Analysis” is a noun.

The word “analysis” comes from Greek. From Greek analysis, "a breaking up," from analyo, "to unravel or loosen.".

“Analysis” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Analysis breaks something down into its parts to understand how it works. Synthesis does the reverse, combining separate parts into a whole. Analysis takes things apart to examine them; synthesis puts ideas together to build something new. The two are complementary steps in thinking and research.

Common types include quantitative analysis, using numbers and statistics; qualitative analysis, based on descriptions and themes; financial analysis of costs and value; and data analysis of large information sets. Others include SWOT, root-cause, and comparative analysis. Each applies careful examination to a different kind of subject.

A scientist examining a blood sample, an analyst studying company accounts, or a critic reading a poem line by line are all doing analysis. Each breaks a subject into parts and studies them closely to understand it or explain how the parts fit together.

The plural of "analysis" is "analyses," pronounced "uh-nal-uh-seez." It follows the Greek pattern, like "crisis" becoming "crises." So you might carry out one analysis, or compare several analyses. The singular ends in "-is" and the plural in "-es."