sampling

1 of 2

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

sampling

2 of 2

present participle of sample entry 2

Synonyms of sampling

Noun

• sample

Examples of sampling in a Sentence

Noun

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

Noun

The playoff projections are based on a Monte Carlo simulation, a computation of random sampling used to predict outcomes, of the 2026 season. — Loren Maxwell, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Gash love composing songs whose intersecting lines set the entire mood of the song—jarring, dreamy, or nostalgic—in the style of art-house sampling. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026

The new, 23-piece collection has been more than a year in the making and was a collaborative effort, with Bieber proposing the ballet theme and consulting on colors, fabrics, silhouettes, product sampling, fit and development. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Only 17% reported autonomous operation with either after-the-fact sampling or real-time monitoring and guardrails. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

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