Analogous means similar in some important way, even though the things being compared might look very different on the surface. When two situations are analogous, they work in comparable ways or serve similar purposes.

Think about how a bird's wing and an airplane's wing are analogous: they look different and are made of different materials, but both are designed to create lift and enable flight. Or consider how a computer's memory is analogous to a human brain's memory: both store information for later use, even though one uses electricity and circuits while the other uses neurons and chemistry.

Scientists and mathematicians use analogous when they notice that two different systems follow similar patterns. A teacher might explain that the way water flows through pipes is analogous to how electricity flows through wires: both involve something moving through a network of channels, even though water and electricity are completely different.

When you say two things are analogous, you're pointing out a meaningful comparison that helps people understand something new by connecting it to something familiar. The related word analogy means the comparison itself, as in “That's a good analogy.”