analects

analects — plural noun

1. a small group of short written pieces, sayings, or passages collected from a par

1.plural nounB2
Definition

a small group of short written pieces, sayings, or passages collected from a particular writer, period, or cultural tradition — the most famous example being The Analects of Confucius (論語), an ancient Chinese book that records the master's conversations and teachings on ethics, government, and personal conduct.

Example

The Analects of Confucius contains hundreds of short sayings on ethics, family relationships, and good government.

the Analects + of [author] — standard title pattern

Students in Professor Okonkwo's philosophy class spent the semester studying passages from the Analects.

collocation: passages from the Analects

Common collocations
  • the Analects of Confucius
  • passages from the Analects
  • read the Analects
  • a translation of the Analects
  • an edition of the Analects
  • the Analects is considered
Synonyms
  • anthology

    broader; an anthology may contain complete works, whereas analects are specifically short fragments or passages

  • miscellany

    more general; a miscellany lacks the thematic coherence that analects often have

  • collected sayings

    more explanatory and less formal; explicitly identifies the genre of wisdom literature

Grammar Patterns

the Analects + of + [author/tradition]

Usage Note

In most modern contexts, 'analects' appears in the capitalized title 'the Analects of Confucius', which is treated as a singular proper noun (e.g. 'the Analects is studied worldwide'). In general literary use, 'analects' remains a plural noun meaning 'collected fragments'.

Common Mistakes

I read Analects of Confucius last semester.
I read the Analects of Confucius last semester.
The title always requires the definite article 'the'.
The Analects are considered an important Chinese classic.
The Analects is considered an important Chinese classic.
When referring to the book title, treat it as a singular proper noun.

Word family

  • analectic
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: plural noun/1

While 'analects', 'anthology', 'miscellany', and 'collected works' all refer to assembled writings, they differ in scope and selectivity. 'Anthology' is the broadest term — it can contain complete poems, stories, or essays by one or many authors, such as 'an anthology of modern American poetry'. 'Miscellany' emphasises variety and randomness; a miscellany mixes items on different subjects without a clear organising principle. 'Collected works' implies completeness — the full output of an author (e.g., 'the collected works of Jane Austen'). 'Analects' specifically refers to short, selected fragments or sayings — pieces that were not originally composed as a unified book but were gathered later. This is why the title 'The Analects of Confucius' is fitting: the book compiles brief conversational exchanges and aphorisms recorded by the philosopher's followers rather than a single sustained treatise.

anthology ↗miscellany ↗collected works

Common collocations

Nouns

  • the Analects of Confucius
  • a translation of the Analects
  • passages from the Analects

Phrases

  • the Analects is considered
  • according to the Analects

Prepositions

  • in the Analects
  • from the Analects
  • of the Analects

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

From Greek ἀνάλεκτα (analekta, 'things chosen or gathered'), from the verb ἀναλέγειν (analégein, 'to gather up, collect'), which combines ἀνά (aná, 'up') and λέγειν (légein, 'to gather, select'). The word entered English in the mid-17th century via Latin analecta and was used by scholars to describe collections of literary fragments. Its most lasting fame comes from its application to the Confucian Lunyu (論語), translated as 'the Analects of Confucius' by early Western missionaries.