MEANING
1. A subset of a larger population selected for observation or analysis.
2. A small portion used to show or test the characteristics of a material or product.
Use it for
survey design; scope of findings; examining a larger whole through a subsetState who or what was included before generalizing.
Words that belong together
- representative sample
- sample size
- draw a sample
On the page
The sample excluded workers without formal contracts.
A soil sample from each field was sent to the laboratory.
Doubling the sample size would not correct the missing rural households.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- sample
Usage notes
Primary category: academic. A large sample can still be biased. Distinguish sample size from representativeness and an observation from the population it is meant to inform. Singular: sample; plural: samples. Derived family (not inflections): sampling; sample also functions as a verb. Secondary verb inflections [base, third, past, past participle, -ing]: sample, samples, sampled, sampled, sampling.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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