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

See Examples For:

subspecies

The subspecies of Aedes aegypti now established across large swaths of the U.S. began its evolutionary journey in sub-Saharan Africa.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

Thousands of years of genetic isolation have made the island pine a distinct subspecies from the trees found in Torrey Pines State Reserve in San Diego, according to the park service.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026

Doubts remain however over a local subspecies of the rodent.

From Barron's ● May 12, 2026

Researchers selected 23 hybrid tortoises with the closest genetic links to the extinct subspecies and began breeding them in captivity on Santa Cruz island.

From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026

That is, Indian peoples domesticated the local Indian subspecies of wild aurochs, Southwest Asians independently domesticated their own Southwest Asian subspecies of aurochs, and North Africans may have independently domesticated the North African aurochs.

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