Etymology First attested in the early 19th century; from French analogue, from Ancient Greek ἀνάλογος (análogos, “proportionate”), from ἀνά (aná, “up to”) + λόγος (lógos, “ratio”). Equivalent to ana- (“functionally similar”) + -log.
1
Of a device or system In which the value of a data item (such as time) is represented by a continuous(ly) variable physical quantity that can be measured (such as the shadow of a sundial).
an analog watch
2
Not relating to, or pre-dating, digital technology such as computers and the Internet; relating to real life.
an analog (paper) map
But for these digital natives, the stubborn analog wonders of skin, handshakes, hugs, bread and wine, faces, names and spontaneous conversation is part of what intrigued them and kept them going to church.2022 January 30, Tish Harrison Warren, “Why Churches Should Drop Their Online Services”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
4 more examples
Not that I expect my children’s generation to be shocked by it all. Unlike my analog upbringing, they were born into a digital world.2021 November 18, Kara Swisher, “The Prescience of 1970’s ‘Future Shock’”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
But what, exactly, is a platform? In the analog world, a platform is where you catch a train or launch a rocket or give a speech — somewhere you go to do something else.2021 September 15, Reeves Wiedeman, “Why Does Every Company Now Want to Be a Platform?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
Effective analog dating demands a similar commitment to strategizing, she said, and “if you have your phone in your face, or earbuds in your ears, you’re not going to meet anyone.”2025 June 6, Catherine Pearson, “A New Way to Date: The Old-Fashioned Way”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
E-bikes have now become so popular that old-fashioned, human-powered ones are tagged as “analog” or “acoustic” bikes.2025 November 30, David Darlington, “The Shocking Crash That Led Marin County to Reckon With the Dangers of E-Bikes”, in The New York Times Magazine, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 Nov 2025:
Etymology First attested in the early 19th century; from French analogue, from Ancient Greek ἀνάλογος (análogos, “proportionate”), from ἀνά (aná, “up to”) + λόγος (lógos, “ratio”). Equivalent to ana- (“functionally similar”) + -log.
1
Something that bears an analogy to something else.
2
Biology, Natural sciences An organ or structure that is similar in function to one in another kind of organism but is of dissimilar evolutionary origin.
See also: convergent evolution
3
Chemistry, Natural sciences, Physical sciences A structural derivative of a parent compound that differs from it by only one or a few atoms or substituent groups; (usually, especially) such a molecule that retains most of the same chemical properties.