Analyse

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To scrutinize a subject in a structured manner for clarity
2. To examine components or structure of something methodically to understand it fully
3. To break down information or material into parts to interpret or explain it

Etymology: The verb "analyse" carries a Greek idea of loosening apart. Its root, "analúō," combined "ana-" (up, throughout) with "lúō" (to unfasten, release), so to analyse was literally to unloose something into its parts. The Greek noun "análusis" meant a breaking up or releasing, and it passed through Medieval Latin as "analysis" before reaching English. The verb itself is the odd part. English had the noun "analysis" well before it had a verb, and the verb seems to have arisen within English, either by back-formation from "analysis" plus the suffix "-ize," or through a shortening of that same pattern. A French verb "analyser" also existed, built from the noun "analyse," and English may have been influenced by it. The exact route is uncertain, so the verb's history is best understood as a relatively late creation built on an ancient Greek idea.

Synonyms: examine, evaluate, investigate, scrutinize, assess

Antonyms: ignore, neglect, overlook