analogy

2 definitions • 3 examples

a comparison between things that have similar features, often used to help explain a principle or idea:

He drew an analogy between the brain and a vast computer.

It is sometimes easier to illustrate an abstract concept by analogy with (= by comparing it with) something concrete.

a comparison of the features or qualities of two different things to show their similarities:

[ C ] He was explaining that the mind has no form and is invisible, and that a useful analogy is of the mind being like the sky.