17 of the Best Synonyms for ‘Analysis’

 

By Dr Oliver Tearle

The word analysis can be an extremely useful one. When writing about science, literary criticism, political analysis, and a wealth of other topics, analysis is often an integral part of one’s language. The word is from a Latin term meaning ‘to resolve something into its elements or constituent parts’, which itself goes back ultimately to an ancient Greek word that meant ‘loosening or undoing’ something – the idea being that by taking something apart one could work out how it was, as it were, put together. Continue reading “17 of the Best Synonyms for ‘Analysis’”

25 of the Best ‘Fatal’ Synonyms

 

By Dr Oliver Tearle

The word ‘fatal’ is from the Latin fātum, literally meaning ‘that which has been spoken’, from the past participle of the verb fārī meaning ‘to speak’. The idea of fate is closely bound up with pronouncements: someone decrees our fate, and something that is fatal was originally something destined or fated to happen. Continue reading “25 of the Best ‘Fatal’ Synonyms”

28 of the Best ‘Mythical’ Synonyms and Antonyms

 

By Dr Oliver Tearle

The word ‘mythical’ is derived from myth, which itself comes from the ancient Greek μῦθος, ‘mythos’. A myth is a traditional story which often contains supernatural elements (gods, goddesses, spirits, or divine or magical forces) and which has some significance beyond the story itself: it might be an origin story about how a nation came into being, or it might have religious significance. The mythical story of Icarus, for instance, is why it’s a bad idea to overreach oneself (in Icarus’ case, flying too close to the sun). Continue reading “28 of the Best ‘Mythical’ Synonyms and Antonyms”