definitions

subset

[ suhb-set ]
/ ˈsʌbˌsɛt /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR subset ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a set that is a part of a larger set.
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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RELATED WORDS

subdivision, member, batch, group, division, portion, share, cut, ration, part, section, fragment

Nearby words

subsere, subserous, subserous plexus, subserve, subservient, subset, subshell, subshrub, subside, subsidence, subsidiarity

Origin of subset

First recorded in 1900–05; sub- + set
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for subset

British Dictionary definitions for subset

subset

/ (ˈsʌbˌsɛt) /

noun

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. proper subset one that is strictly contained within a larger class and excludes some of its membersSymbol: A⊂B
a set within a larger set
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

Word Origin and History for subset

subset

n.

"subordinate set," 1902, from sub- + set (n.1).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Science definitions for subset

subset

[ sŭb′sĕt′ ]

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.