Analogize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To make a comparison that illustrates how two different ideas or concepts are alike in certain respects
2. To highlight the similarities between two disparate subjects by creating a parallel or analogy
3. To draw a comparison between two unlike entities, emphasizing their similarities in specific aspects or characteristics

Etymology: "Analogize" is a straightforward formation: the noun "analogy" plus the verb-forming suffix "-ize." The suffix has a long pedigree of its own. It began in ancient Greek as "-izein," which Late Latin adopted as "-izare" and passed on to Old French as "-iser," and English took it in through Middle English as "-isen." Its ultimate root reaches back to a Proto-Indo-European element, but the practical story is that English has been attaching "-ize" to nouns for centuries to make verbs meaning "to make into" or "to treat in the manner of." The base "analogy" carries the more interesting history. It comes from Greek "analogia," meaning "proportion" or "correspondence," built from "ana" (according to, in proportion) and "logos" (ratio, reason). Its original sense was mathematical: a matching of ratios, such as 2 is to 4 as 3 is to 6. Only later did it broaden to the looser idea of resemblance between unlike things that the verb now carries.

Synonyms: compare, correlate, parallel, relate, liken