sampling

noun

sam·​pling ˈsam-pliŋ 

for senses 1 & 3

-p(ə-)liŋ 

1

: the act, process, or technique of selecting a suitable sample

specifically : the act, process, or technique of selecting a representative part of a population for the purpose of determining parameters or characteristics of the whole population

2

: a small part selected as a sample for inspection or analysis

ask a sampling of people which candidate they favor

3

: the introduction or promotion of a product by distributing trial packages of it

Synonyms of sampling

• sample

Examples of sampling in a Sentence

The reporter asked a sampling of people about their eating habits.

a sampling of the menu's entrées

We were given a sampling of the food.

The band does a lot of sampling.

Recent Examples on the Web

Book a table at Candlenut, which serves an upscale Peranakan menu, or try City PeraMakan for a more casual sampling of this diverse cuisine. — Carolyn Heller, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

The new capital will help accelerates the development, sampling, testing and validation of the quantum pigment technology across real-world materials and product applications. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 20 July 2026

These would include geophysical surveys, biological sampling and oceanographic measurements. — Dánica Coto, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

On the right side, two light-up touch-trigger panels boast a 520Hz touch sampling rate. — Florence Ion, PC Magazine, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sampling

• chorionic villus sampling

Rhymes for sampling

• trampling
• resampling
• subsampling

Medical Definition

sampling

noun

sam·​pling ˈsam-pliŋ 

1

: the act, process, or technique of selecting a suitable sample

specifically : the act, process, or technique of selecting a representative part of a population for the purpose of determining parameters or characteristics of the whole population

2

: sample

obtain a sampling of urine