1. any analysis in which a process or system is separated into a series of subprocesses or components.

2. a set of information-processing and mathematical techniques that enables an investigator to decompose an individual’s performance on a cognitive task into the underlying elementary cognitive processes. For example, solving an analogy requires encoding of stimuli, inference of the relation between the first two terms of the analogy, and so forth. Componential analysis enables the investigator to ascertain, for each individual, (a) the identities of the components used, (b) the strategy by which the components are combined, (c) the amount of time spent on each component, (d) the susceptibility of the component to erroneous execution, and (e) information regarding the mental representation upon which the component acts. [devised by U.S. psychologist Robert J. Sternberg (1949–  )]

3. a formal semantic analysis in which words are broken down into their separate elements, for example, man = human + male. Componential analysis is often employed to aid understanding of the meaning of words used by members of a particular culture.