analysis

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Decomposition into components in order to study (a complex thing, concept, theory, etc.).

   comparative analysis

2. 2
   noun

   The result of such a process.

   Thus, in a sequence such as [French English teacher], since English is closer to the Head Noun teacher, it must be a Complement; and since French is further away from teacher, it must be an Attribute. Hence, we correctly predict that the only possible interpretation for [a French English teacher] is ‘a person who teaches English who is Frenchʼ. So our analysis not only has semantic plausi- bility; but in addition it has independent syntactic support.

3. 3
   noun

   Psychoanalysis.

   The "Homosexuals" chapter gets off to a brisk start with a declaration from a man identified as "Nick August" ― a "self-proclaimed homosexual" ― that "homosexuals are men who are so terrified of their sexual feelings for their mothers, that they have spent their whole lives proving they don't have any feelings at all for women." We are not surprised to learn, later on, that he is in analysis; may I suggest that his analyst is a very old-fashioned one?

4. 4
   noun

   an investigation of the component parts of a whole and their relations in making up the whole

5. 5
   noun

   a set of techniques for exploring underlying motives and a method of treating various mental disorders

6. 6
   noun

   the abstract separation of a whole into its constituent parts in order to study the parts and their relations

7. 7
   noun

   a branch of mathematics involving calculus and the theory of limits

8. 8
   noun

   a form of literary criticism in which the structure of a piece of writing is analyzed

Etymology

From Medieval Latin analysis, from Ancient Greek ἀνάλυσις (análusis), from ἀναλύω (analúō, “to unravel, investigate”), from ἀνα- (ana-, “thoroughly”) + λύω (lúō, “to loosen”).