analogy
- A comparison between two things that highlights a similarity in structure or function, used to explain or clarify an idea.
In a sentence
- The teacher used the analogy of a river to explain how electrical current flows through a circuit.
- Drawing an analogy between the two legal cases helped the jury understand the precedent being set.
Usage note. An analogy explains one thing by showing its similarity to another; be careful not to use it interchangeably with 'metaphor', which is a figure of speech rather than a logical or explanatory tool.
Where it comes from
English analogy · entered English mid-16th c.
From Greek 'analogia', meaning 'proportion or correspondence', derived from 'analogos' (proportionate), composed of 'ana-' (according to) + 'logos' (ratio, word, or reason). It passed through Latin 'analogia' into English in the mid-16th century, first in mathematical and then in general rhetorical use.