subset

American  

[suhb-set] / ˈsʌbˌsɛt /

noun

1. a set that is a part of a larger set.

2. Mathematics. a set consisting of elements of a given set that can be the same as the given set or smaller.

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subset British  

/ ˈsʌbˌsɛt /

noun

1. maths

   1. a set the members of which are all members of some given class: A is a subset of B is usually written A⊆B

   2.  A⊂B.  one that is strictly contained within a larger class and excludes some of its members

2. a set within a larger set

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subset Scientific  

/ sŭb′sĕt′ /

1. A set whose members are all contained in another set. The set of positive integers, for example, is a subset of the set of integers.

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Etymology

Origin of subset

First recorded in 1900–05; sub- + set

Example Sentences

Hip hop initially reached mass audiences through a subset of black radio stations, often those formatted as “urban contemporary.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The selloff has also crushed Wall Street’s price-to-earnings forecasts, with software names suffering the biggest contraction in PE multiples of any subset in the technology sector, according to Trivariate Research analysts.

From Barron's

For investors who prefer index funds, an analysis in November of nine approaches taken by Invesco to tracking subsets of the S&P 500 showed that the momentum approach had worked best over multiple periods.

From MarketWatch

A subset of retail investors is expressing faith that mortgage rates will eventually move down.

From MarketWatch

You will pay higher fees for factor ETFs that track subsets of the indexes, but some of these may fit your investment objectives.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• subdivision