Analytical

How to spell analytical

10 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce analytical

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does analytical mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to or skilled in examining something carefully by breaking it into its separate parts.

Analytical in a sentence

• Her analytical approach to the budget uncovered the hidden overspend.

• The role demands strong analytical skills and a head for numbers.

Where does analytical come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word traces back to the Greek analyein, meaning 'to loosen up' or 'to break apart', formed from ana 'up, throughout' and lyein 'to loosen'. The idea was that you understand something by undoing it into its separate pieces, the literal opposite of putting things together. The related noun analysis passed into medieval Latin as analysis and reached English in the 1500s, with the adjective analytic following soon after. The fuller form analytical, with its extra -al ending, became common in English scientific and philosophical writing during the 1600s. The same lyein root for 'loosening' also gives us 'paralysis' (a loosening of control over the body) and 'electrolysis', which is a useful clue that the tricky middle of analytical is spelled with a 'y', not an 'i'.

How the word is built

• ana- (up, throughout)
• lyt (from Greek lysis: a loosening)
• -ic (adjective)
• -al (adjective suffix)