subpopulation

British  

/ ˌsʌbpɒpjʊˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. statistics a subgroup of a statistical population

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Explanation

A subpopulation is a specific small section within a larger group of people. All American middle-school students would be considered a subpopulation of U.S. residents. Researchers studying a large population of people often break this group down into smaller, more manageable subpopulations. For example, when scientists examine the effects of a contagious disease, it's helpful to understand how it affects the subpopulations of older adults, infants, and people with preexisting conditions — as well as subpopulations including different genders, races, and ethnicities. Subpopulation uses the prefix sub-, "under," from the idea that subpopulations fall under the broader category of an entire population.

Example Sentences

Long-term possibilities could include distributing polar bear kibble, but Dr. Derocher said that it wasn’t possible to sustain a subpopulation that way indefinitely.

From New York Times • Jun. 13, 2024

The researchers studied heteroresistance, a phenomenon in which the majority of bacteria in a population are sensitive to antibiotics but a very small subpopulation of bacteria exhibits increased antibiotic resistance.

From Science Daily • May 20, 2024

Trans scientists shouldn’t be treated as a subpopulation, but as part of a larger scientific community working together to improve our knowledge.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 14, 2024

By contrast, about 370 orcas are in the subpopulation of Bigg’s hunting the Salish Sea, Shields said.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 10, 2023

The remaining Somali Wild Ass population, according to the IUCN, is left in Eritrea and Ethiopia with the largest recorded subpopulation being just 17 individuals.

From Reuters • Jul. 6, 2023