analyst
gb/ˈænəlɪst/ us/ˈænəlɪst/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
person who examines information professionally
Someone whose job is to look at information carefully and explain what it means.
Usage pattern:
an analyst; an analyst at/in [organization/field]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse analyst (a person) with analysis (the process) or analyze (the verb).
Synonyms
specialist (More general; not always focused on analyzing data.)
|
expert (Emphasizes high knowledge, not necessarily analysis work.)
Antonyms
layperson (Someone without specialist training or professional analytical role.)
|
amateur (Not professional; may not have formal methods or training.)
Collocations
industry analyst
|senior analyst
|lead analyst
|research analyst
|risk analyst
|provide analysis
|issue a report
|make recommendations
|an analyst at a firm
|an analyst in the field
Themes
business
|work
|education
Examples
- The analyst reviewed the figures and explained why profits fell last quarter.
- Our analyst will prepare a short report with recommendations for the next steps.
- She works as an analyst for a consulting company.
Learner examples
- He is an analyst at a bank.
- The analyst wrote a report.
Noun
business
C1
entity
2
finance professional who evaluates investments
A person who studies money and companies to help people invest.
Usage pattern:
an analyst at [bank/fund]; an analyst covering [company/sector]
Common mistake:
In finance, analyst is not the same as accountant; analysts focus on evaluation and forecasts, not bookkeeping.
Synonyms
investment researcher (Highlights research; less common as a job title.)
|
equity researcher (Narrower; typically focuses on stocks.)
Antonyms
retail investor (An individual investing personally rather than as a professional analyst.)
Collocations
financial analyst
|investment analyst
|equity analyst
|credit analyst
|earnings forecast
|valuation model
|cover a stock
|issue a buy rating
|market outlook
|client presentation
Themes
finance
|business
|investing
Examples
- The analyst upgraded the stock after the company reported strong sales.
- As a junior analyst, he built valuation models and wrote research notes.
- Analysts expect interest rates to fall later this year.
Learner examples
- She is a financial analyst.
- The analyst wrote a report about the company.
Noun
technical
B2
entity
3
worker who analyzes datasets
Someone who studies data to find useful information.
Usage pattern:
a data analyst; an analyst working on [dataset/project]
Common mistake:
Data analyst and data scientist are related but not identical; data scientist often implies more advanced modeling and experimentation.
Synonyms
data specialist (Broader; can include data management tasks beyond analysis.)
Antonyms
data entry clerk (Focuses on inputting data rather than interpreting it.)
Collocations
data analyst
|analyze trends
|clean data
|build dashboards
|run queries
|data visualization
|key metrics
|report findings
|A/B test results
|data pipeline
Themes
technology
|work
|data
Examples
- The analyst found a clear link between delivery delays and customer complaints.
- Our data analyst built a dashboard to track weekly sign-ups.
- She shared her findings with the product team.
Learner examples
- He works as a data analyst.
- The analyst checked the numbers.
Noun
business
C1
entity
4
professional who studies business needs
Someone who helps a company improve how it works, often by defining what a new system should do.
Usage pattern:
a business analyst; an analyst on [project/team]
Common mistake:
Business analyst is different from financial analyst; it usually focuses on processes and requirements, not investment decisions.
Synonyms
requirements analyst (Emphasizes collecting and documenting needs; often used in tech projects.)
Antonyms
end user (Uses the system rather than analyzing or defining it.)
Collocations
business analyst
|gather requirements
|stakeholder interviews
|process mapping
|business case
|user stories
|project scope
|gap analysis
|change request
|implementation plan
Themes
business
|technology
|work
Examples
- The analyst met with stakeholders to clarify what the new system should deliver.
- As the business analyst, she documented requirements and helped the team prioritize features.
- The analyst proposed changes to reduce manual work in the process.
Learner examples
- She is a business analyst.
- The analyst talked to users about their needs.
Noun
business
C1
entity
5
expert who studies markets and consumers
Someone who studies what customers want and what competitors are doing.
Usage pattern:
a market analyst; an analyst tracking [industry/region]
Common mistake:
Market analyst can mean finance-focused market commentary or consumer research; context usually clarifies.
Synonyms
market researcher (Often broader and can include qualitative research; less emphasis on forecasting.)
Antonyms
consumer (The person being studied rather than the person doing the analysis.)
Collocations
market analyst
|market research
|consumer insights
|competitive analysis
|market trends
|demand forecast
|pricing strategy
|target audience
|industry report
|survey data
Themes
business
|marketing
|research
Examples
- The analyst predicted strong demand for smaller electric cars in the next two years.
- Market analysts reported that prices are stabilizing after months of increases.
- The analyst compared competitor offerings and suggested a new pricing plan.
Learner examples
- A market analyst studies customers.
- The analyst wrote an industry report.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
6
specialist who assesses security risks
Someone who checks for security problems and helps prevent attacks.
Usage pattern:
a security analyst; an analyst monitoring [systems/network]
Common mistake:
Security analyst often means cybersecurity; it does not always refer to physical security.
Synonyms
cybersecurity analyst (More explicit that the focus is digital systems.)
Antonyms
attacker (Opposite role in a security context.)
Collocations
security analyst
|monitor alerts
|threat detection
|vulnerability assessment
|incident response
|security logs
|risk assessment
|access controls
|security posture
|data breach
Themes
technology
|security
|work
Examples
- The analyst investigated suspicious login attempts and blocked the IP address.
- Security analysts recommended enabling multi-factor authentication for all staff.
- After the incident, the analyst wrote a report on what went wrong.
Learner examples
- The security analyst watches the network.
- The analyst found a risk.
Noun
formal
C1
entity
7
government or intelligence information evaluator
Someone who studies information to help government or security teams make decisions.
Usage pattern:
an intelligence analyst; an analyst assigned to [region/topic]
Common mistake:
In this sense, intelligence means information gathering and assessment, not personal IQ.
Synonyms
intelligence officer (Can imply broader duties; not always analysis-focused.)
Antonyms
civilian (Not part of an intelligence function; not a direct opposite but contrasts in role.)
Collocations
intelligence analyst
|classified information
|threat assessment
|strategic analysis
|brief senior officials
|open-source intelligence
|field reports
|surveillance data
|security briefing
|risk indicators
Themes
government
|security
|work
Examples
- The analyst prepared a briefing on regional developments for senior officials.
- Intelligence analysts combined satellite images with field reports to assess the situation.
- The report was reviewed by multiple analysts before it was shared.
Learner examples
- The analyst wrote a security briefing.
- Analysts studied reports from different sources.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
8
therapist trained in psychoanalysis
A therapist who uses psychoanalysis.
Usage pattern:
see an analyst; an analyst in [therapy/session]
Common mistake:
This meaning is less common than business/tech uses; it usually appears in mental-health contexts.
Synonyms
psychoanalyst (More explicit; commonly used to avoid ambiguity.)
|
therapist (Much broader; not limited to psychoanalysis.)
Antonyms
patient (The person receiving therapy rather than providing it.)
Collocations
see an analyst
|in analysis
|psychoanalytic therapy
|therapy session
|talk therapy
|interpret dreams
|unconscious motives
|childhood experiences
|transference
|clinical practice
Themes
health
|psychology
Examples
- He spent several years seeing an analyst to work through long-standing anxiety.
- The analyst encouraged her to speak freely about whatever came to mind.
- In the novel, the main character becomes an analyst after medical training.
Learner examples
- She talked to her analyst.
- The analyst listened carefully.
Grammar
Dictionary form
analyst
IPA
GB/ˈænəlɪst/
US/ˈænəlɪst/
Syllables & stress
ana - lyst (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ana)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: analyst
- Plural: analysts
Word family
Forms
analysts
noun
Core family
Related words
analytic
adjective B2
analyzer
noun
Advanced or less common
psychoanalysis
noun
psychoanalytic
adjective
Expressions
business analyst
1/bˈɪznɪs ˈænəlɪst/
fixed phrase
business
person who improves business processes
Someone who helps a company improve by defining problems and needs.
Examples
- The business analyst interviewed staff to understand the current workflow.
- As a business analyst, he wrote user stories and clarified requirements.
- The project needs a business analyst to coordinate between teams.
data analyst
1/dˈætə ˈænəlɪst/
fixed phrase
technical
person who analyzes data
Someone whose job is to study data and report what it means.
Examples
- We hired a data analyst to track customer behavior across the app.
- As a data analyst, she builds dashboards and explains trends to the team.
- The data analyst cleaned the dataset before running the analysis.
financial analyst
1/fɪnˈænʃəl ˈænəlɪst/
fixed phrase
business
person who evaluates finances
Someone who studies financial information to help make money decisions.
Examples
- The financial analyst prepared a forecast for next quarter’s revenue.
- A financial analyst reviewed the company’s costs and suggested savings.
- She started her career as a financial analyst at a large bank.
intelligence analyst
1/ɪntˈɛlɪd͡ʒəns ˈænəlɪst/
fixed phrase
formal
person who assesses intelligence information
Someone who studies security information and writes reports for officials.
Examples
- The intelligence analyst prepared a daily briefing for senior leaders.
- Intelligence analysts assessed the credibility of the sources before drawing conclusions.
- She trained as an intelligence analyst in the military.
market analyst
1/mˈɑɹkɪt ˈænəlɪst/
fixed phrase
business
person who studies market trends
Someone who studies what is happening in the market.
Examples
- A market analyst reported growing demand for low-cost streaming services.
- The market analyst compared competitors before the product launch.
- Market analysts expect sales to slow in the second half of the year.
policy analyst
1/pˈɑlɪsi ˈænəlɪst/
fixed phrase
formal
person who evaluates public policy
Someone who studies government plans and suggests improvements.
Examples
- The policy analyst compared the costs of different housing proposals.
- As a policy analyst, she wrote briefs for lawmakers.
- Policy analysts warned that the program could widen regional inequality.
security analyst
1/sɪkjˈʊɹɪti ˈænəlɪst/
fixed phrase
technical
person who monitors security threats
Someone who helps protect systems from security problems.
Examples
- The security analyst reviewed logs after the alert was triggered.
- Security analysts recommended patching the server immediately.
- She works nights as a security analyst in the operations center.
systems analyst
1/sˈɪstəmz ˈænəlɪst/
fixed phrase
technical
person who designs or improves systems
Someone who studies computer systems and helps improve them.
Examples
- The systems analyst mapped the current software and proposed an upgrade plan.
- As a systems analyst, he worked with developers to define technical requirements.
- The company hired a systems analyst to help integrate two databases.