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subgroup

American  
[suhb-groop] / ˈsʌbˌgrup /

noun

  1. a subordinate group; a division of a group.

  2. Chemistry. a division of a group in the periodic table.

  3. Mathematics. a subset of a group that is closed under the group operation and in which every element has an inverse in the subset.


subgroup British  
/ ˈsʌbˌɡruːp /

noun

  1. a distinct and often subordinate division of a group

  2. a mathematical group whose members are members of another group, both groups being subject to the same rule of combination

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of subgroup

First recorded in 1835–45; sub- + group

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Tozorakimab also achieved better data for the subgroup of patients for which Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent and GSK’s Nucala are approved, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

A specific subgroup appears to help coordinate the immune response and shift it away from damaging inflammation toward conditions that support regeneration.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026

"There was recognition that there is a very small subgroup of children whose gender incongruence persists long-term and who may require ongoing support and possible medical interventions," the review said.

From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026

Fernandez said he was not in a deputy gang or problematic subgroup.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2025

Next come crops whose names are consistent only among the languages falling within a small subgroup of those southern Nigerian languages.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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