Synonyms of analogy

analogy

noun

1

as in metaphor

a way of describing or explaining one thing by means of describing another with which it shares certain points or qualities

The teacher used the analogy of a common pipeline to explain bandwidth on the Internet.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• metaphor
• simile
• device
• euphemism
• code word
• idiom
• circumlocution
• conceit
• dead metaphor
• crank
• expression
• figure of speech
• catachresis
• mixed metaphor

2

as in equivalent

resemblance in certain points or qualities between two or more otherwise unlike things

The study made note of analogies between human and ape social behavior.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• equivalent
• similarity
• counterpart
• homology
• equal
• parallel
• resemblance
• commonality
• common denominator
• similitude
• correspondence
• congruity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• difference
• discrepancy
• divergence
• variation
• modification
• change
• incongruity
• deviance
• incongruence
• dissimilarity

Synonym Chooser

How is the word analogy distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of analogy are likeness, resemblance, similarity, and similitude. While all these words mean "agreement or correspondence in details," analogy implies likeness or parallelism in relations rather than in appearance or qualities.

pointed out analogies to past wars

How do likeness and similarity relate to one another, in the sense of analogy?

Likeness implies a closer correspondence than similarity which often implies that things are merely somewhat alike.

a remarkable likeness to his late father

some similarity between the two cases

When might resemblance be a better fit than analogy?

In some situations, the words resemblance and analogy are roughly equivalent. However, resemblance implies similarity chiefly in appearance or external qualities.

statements that bear little resemblance to the truth

When is similitude a more appropriate choice than analogy?

While in some cases nearly identical to analogy, similitude applies chiefly to correspondence between abstractions.

two schools of social thought showing points of similitude

Examples of analogy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Scientists call these droplets biomolecular condensates, an analogy to the droplets of water that condense on a cold glass of water on a humid day. —Trevor Grandpre, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2024

If there are analogies and parallels to the current political situation, they were not sought programmatically or rationally. —Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Aug. 2024

Are there useful historical analogies for what presidents have done in these final months? —Foreign Affairs, 22 July 2024

Or perhaps a better analogy comes from folklore (as in storytelling tradition, not the album), and Swift is the stone in the soup: the inciting symbol without which nothing would be made but that, on its own, is technically doing nothing at all. —Jessica M. Goldstein, Washington Post, 21 June 2024