Origin: Latin suffix -al
Analytical has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
using or skilled in using analysis (i.e., separating a whole--intellectual or substantial--into its elemental parts or basic principles)
"an analytic experiment"
"an analytic approach"
"a keenly analytic man"
"analytical reasoning"
"an analytical mind"
of a proposition that is necessarily true independent of fact or experience
"`all spinsters are unmarried' is an analytic proposition"
Of or pertaining to analysis; resolving into elements or constituent parts
"The analytical approach required breaking down the complex chemical mixture into its individual components to identify each substance."
In plain English: Analytical means having the ability to break down complex information into smaller parts to figure out how they work together.
"She is very analytical and always looks at data before making decisions."
Usage: Use analytical to describe someone who breaks down complex information into its individual components rather than just observing it as a whole. This term is often confused with the noun "analysis," but remember that you need an adjective like analytical when modifying words such as thinking, skills, or approach.
Analytical comes from the same root as the word analysis, which entered English through French. The term describes something that involves breaking down complex ideas into smaller parts for study.