someone who is skilled at analyzing data
"The financial analyst spent hours crunching numbers to predict next quarter's market trends."
an expert who studies financial data (on credit or securities or sales or financial patterns etc.) and recommends appropriate business actions
"The senior analyst reviewed the quarterly sales figures before recommending that we increase our marketing budget for the upcoming quarter."
a licensed practitioner of psychoanalysis
"After years of treating patients, Dr. Evans decided to retire from his practice as an analyst and pursue writing instead."
Someone who analyzes.
"The financial analyst dug through months of data to uncover why the company's profits had dropped so sharply."
In plain English: An analyst is someone who studies information to find patterns and explain how things work.
"The financial analyst predicted that stock prices would rise next month."
Usage: An analyst is a professional who examines data or complex information to uncover patterns and provide insights. You typically use this term for experts in fields like finance, sports, or business intelligence rather than someone who simply performs basic analysis.
The word entered English from French as analyste, originally referring to someone who performs analysis. It was adopted into English with the same meaning it holds today.