subspecies

American  

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

noun

subspecies plural

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

Nouns

• subspecies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of subspecies

First recorded in 1690–1700; sub- + species

Example Sentences

It is also home to a lizard species found only on three of the Channel Islands; a spotted skunk that lives on just two Channel Islands; a unique island fox subspecies; and several uncommon birds.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

The findings, published in the Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society, focus on four island subspecies found in Scotland: Shetland, Fair Isle, the Outer Hebrides, and St Kilda.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

Doubts remain however over a local subspecies of the rodent.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

By examining differences between subspecies within the same bacterial species, researchers can begin to uncover how gut microbes influence a wide range of health conditions.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

In the early 1990s Brazilian researchers discovered a wild subspecies, M. esculentaflabelli-folia, in Rondonia.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann