subset

noun

sub·​set ˈsəb-ˌset How to pronounce subset (audio)
1
: a set each of whose elements is an element of an inclusive set
2
: division, portion
a subset of our community

Examples of subset in a Sentence

The set {1,2,3} is a subset of the set {1,2,3,4,5}. Only a small subset of the patients in the study experienced these side effects.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Losing a large subset of workers also means that domestic factories will lose those workers’ specialized skills—and according to those in the industry, that could be daunting to backfill. Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 30 May 2025 Specifically, in what’s known as a founder effect, a small subset of the surviving population branched off to form its own colony, increasing the segregation of fall-spawning and spring-spawning sturgeon. Benjamin Cassidy, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 May 2025 Another dataset shows that the people arrested solely for camping make up a small subset of the total homeless arrests. Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 28 May 2025 The Epstein-Barr virus — known for its role in infectious mononucleosis and present in over 95 percent of adults — gets reactivated in a subset of people, which may be linked to developing long COVID, Iwasaki said. The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for subset

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of subset was in 1881

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Cite this Entry

“Subset.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subset. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

subset

noun
sub·​set ˈsəb-ˌset How to pronounce subset (audio)
: a mathematical set that is a part of another mathematical set
the set of even numbers is a subset of the set of all numbers

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