subspecies

American  

[suhb-spee-sheez, suhb-spee-] / ˈsʌbˌspi ʃiz, sʌbˈspi- /

noun

1. a subdivision of a species, especially a geographical or ecological subdivision.

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subspecies British  

/ ˈsʌbˌspiːʃiːz, ˌsʌbspɪˈsɪfɪk /

noun

1.  ssp.  biology a taxonomic group that is a subdivision of a species: usually occurs because of isolation within a species

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subspecies Scientific  

/ sŭb′spē′shēz,-sēz /

1. A subdivision of a species of organisms, usually based on geographic distribution. The subspecies name is written in lowercase italics following the species name. For example, Gorilla gorilla gorilla is the western lowland gorilla, and Gorilla gorilla graueri is the eastern lowland gorilla.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subspecific
  adjective
• subspecifically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

noun

• subspecies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of subspecies

First recorded in 1690–1700; sub- + species

Example Sentences

However, thousands of years of genetic isolation have made the island pine a distinct subspecies, according to the National Park Service.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

Each of the Channel Islands has endemic species and subspecies, including island foxes, that are found nowhere else, said Phyllis Grifman, vice chair of the advisory council.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Doubts remain however over a local subspecies of the rodent.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

Researchers selected 23 hybrid tortoises with the closest genetic links to the extinct subspecies and began breeding them in captivity on Santa Cruz island.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026

Marie-Laure is not a collector in the way that Dr. Geffard was, an amasser, always looking to scurry down the scales of order, family, genus, species, and subspecies.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr