analysis

analysis — noun

1. a careful look at the facts, numbers, or events around a topic so that you can w

1.nounB2
Definition

a careful look at the facts, numbers, or events around a topic so that you can work out how things connect and what conclusions to draw — for example, going through last year's sales figures to see which products are losing money.

Example

Dr. Patel's analysis of the survey results showed that most parents wanted longer school holidays.

analysis of + noun phrase

The team did a careful analysis of last month's traffic accidents on Beimen Road.

collocation: careful/detailed analysis

Common collocations
  • careful analysis
  • in-depth analysis
  • detailed analysis
  • cost-benefit analysis
  • on closer analysis
  • in the final analysis
Synonyms
  • examination

    neutral; the act of looking closely, less focused on drawing conclusions

  • study

    broader; can be a single project or an ongoing effort

  • evaluation

    stresses judging value or quality, not just describing

  • review

    often shorter and more general; can be informal

Antonyms
  • synthesis

    combining parts into a whole, the opposite of breaking down

Grammar Patterns

analysis of + noun

detailed/in-depth/careful analysis

Usage Note

Used both countable (one piece of work, e.g. 'a detailed analysis') and uncountable ('careful analysis is needed'). Plural is 'analyses' /əˈnæləsiːz/, never 'analysises'.

Common Mistakes

I did three analysises of the data.
I did three analyses of the data.
the plural keeps the Greek -is → -es change.
The doctor made an analyse of the X-ray.
The doctor made an analysis of the X-ray.
'analyse' is the verb; the noun is 'analysis'.

2. a scientific test in which a substance such as blood, water, or soil is broken d

2.nounC1
Definition

a scientific test in which a substance such as blood, water, or soil is broken down so that scientists can see what chemicals or materials are inside it.

Example

The river water was sent for analysis after dead fish appeared near the village.

passive: be sent for analysis

Chemical analysis showed that the white powder was just sugar, not a drug.

collocation: chemical analysis

Common collocations
  • chemical analysis
  • blood analysis
  • DNA analysis
  • soil analysis
  • send for analysis
Synonyms
  • test

    more everyday; 'a blood test' is more common in speech than 'a blood analysis'

  • assay

    technical; used mostly for measuring how much of a chemical is present

Grammar Patterns

analysis of + substance

send sth for analysis

Usage Note

Subject of the analysis is always a physical substance (blood, urine, soil, water, food). Distinguish from sense 1: if you can replace 'analysis' with 'lab test', this is sense 2. Often appears as a compound: 'blood analysis', 'DNA analysis', 'soil analysis'.

Common Mistakes

The hospital did an analysis of his behaviour.
The hospital did an analysis of his blood.
sense 2 takes physical substances, not abstract nouns; for behaviour use sense 1 ('analysis').

3. a long course of treatment, based on the ideas of Freud, where a patient talks r

3.nounC1
Definition

a long course of treatment, based on the ideas of Freud, where a patient talks regularly with a trained doctor about their childhood, dreams, and feelings to find the hidden reasons behind their problems.

Example

Quinn has been in analysis for two years and says it has helped him sleep better.

fixed phrase: be in analysis

After her divorce, Aunt Rosa decided to go into analysis with a doctor in Vienna.

fixed phrase: go into analysis

Common collocations
  • be in analysis
  • go into analysis
  • years of analysis
Synonyms
  • psychoanalysis

    the full technical term; identical meaning, more formal

  • therapy

    much broader; covers many treatments, not only the Freudian method

Grammar Patterns

be in analysis

go into analysis

Usage Note

Always uncountable in this sense — never 'an analysis' or 'analyses'. Almost always appears in the fixed phrases 'be in analysis' or 'go into analysis'. The full word 'psychoanalysis' is more formal and more common in writing.

Common Mistakes

She had three analyses with her therapist.
She had three years of analysis with her therapist.
sense 3 is uncountable; count the time, not the sessions.
Idioms

in the final analysis

idiom

used when you want to say what is most important after thinking about all the smaller details of a situation.

In the final analysis, the team lost because their goalkeeper was injured in the first half.

There were many reasons for the protest, but in the final analysis, people were simply tired of high rents.

on closer analysis

idiom

used when a closer look at something shows it is different from how it first seemed.

The deal looked great, but on closer analysis, the interest rate was much higher than the bank's.

On closer analysis, the painting turned out to be a copy made in the 1920s.

in the final/last analysis

idiom

This phrase is used to state the most important point after considering everything.

In the final analysis, the project failed due to poor planning.

Was the decision fair? In the last analysis, it was.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe looking carefully at something, but they differ in purpose and depth. 'Analysis' breaks a topic into parts to explain how it works or what it means — the focus is on understanding through reasoning ('an analysis of voter behaviour'). 'Examination' is a close, often physical inspection, neutral about conclusions ('a medical examination'). 'Study' is the broadest term and often suggests a longer or more academic project ('a study of bee populations'). 'Evaluation' adds judgement: you measure something against a standard to decide if it is good or useful ('a teacher evaluation'). 'Review' is the lightest — a fresh look, sometimes informal, often to update or summarise ('an annual review'). So if you simply look, use 'examination'; if you judge, use 'evaluation'; if you reason and explain, use 'analysis'.

analysis ↗examination ↗study ↗evaluation ↗review ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • data analysis
  • risk analysis
  • cost-benefit analysis
  • market analysis
  • blood analysis

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

  • analysis of
  • under analysis
  • for analysis

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Comes from Greek 'analusis', meaning 'a loosening' or 'breaking up' — formed from 'ana-' (up, throughout) and 'luein' (to loosen). Greek scholars used it for unpicking an argument into its smaller parts. The word reached English in the late 1500s through scientific Latin, first in chemistry and mathematics. The newer 'psychological treatment' sense came in the early 1900s, as a short form of Freud's 'psychoanalysis'.