1. reasoning or argumentation based on analogy; the practice of drawing conclusions by comparing similarities between different things or situations.
Usage: formal; often used in philosophy, logic, and rhetoric
2. the philosophical doctrine that knowledge or understanding is primarily derived through analogical comparison.
Usage: technical; philosophy

Examples

• The lawyer's argument relied heavily on analogism, comparing the current case to similar precedents.
• In medieval philosophy, analogism was used to explain how humans could understand divine attributes.
• The scientist employed analogism to predict the behavior of the new compound based on similar substances.
• Critics argued that his analogism was flawed because the two situations were fundamentally different.
• Analogism remains a powerful tool in legal reasoning and rhetorical debate.