demographic

noun

dem·o·graph·ic | \ ˌde-mə-ˈgra-fik ,

ˌdē-mə- \

Definition of demographic

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 demographics plural : the statistical characteristics of human populations (such as age or income) used especially to identify markets a change in the state's demographics

2 business : a market or segment of the population identified by demographics trying to reach a younger demographic

demographic

adjective

de·mo·graph·ic | \ ˌde-mə-ˈgra-fik ,

ˌdē-mə- \

variants: or less commonly demographical \-fi-kəl

Definition of demographic (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : of or relating to demography or demographics demographic data

2 sociology : relating to the dynamic balance of a population especially with regard to density (see density sense 2c) and capacity for expansion or decline demographic trends a demographic shift

Other Words from demographic Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about demographic

Keep scrolling for more

Did You Know?

Demographic analysis, the statistical description of human populations, is a tool used by government agencies, political parties, and manufacturers of consumer goods. Polls conducted on every topic imaginable, from age to toothpaste preference, give the government and corporations an idea of who the public is and what it needs and wants. The government's census, which is conducted every ten years, is the largest demographic survey of all. Today demographic is also being used as a noun; so, for example, TV advertisers are constantly worrying about how to appeal to "the 18-to-24-year-old demographic".

Examples of demographic in a Sentence

Noun

The town's demographics suggest that the restaurant will do well there. The newspaper will be making some changes in order to adapt to the region's shifting demographics. The demographics of the disease are changing, and we are seeing much younger people being affected by it.

Adjective

The demographic information shows that the population increased but the average income went down.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

But the demographic has shifted slightly as a new breed of competitor migrates from track and field. — David Wharton, latimes.com, "Ultra running can mean extreme heat, mountain climbs and, oh yeah, look out for those trees," 14 June 2018 Its membership has grown over the years and so has the members’ demographics, reflecting the region’s growth. — Naseem S. Miller, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Oviedo YMCA finishes major renovation," 15 May 2018 Only a handful of districts in California, Arizona, Texas and Florida have similar demographics. — Sophia Tareen, The Seattle Times, "Candidates vow to extend US Rep Gutierrez’s immigration work," 4 Feb. 2018 These states have similar demographics but radically different policies toward immigrants. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Immigrant-friendly policies make most whites feel welcomed, too," 17 Jan. 2018 But now, a new study by a team of researchers led by the Stanford education professor Sean Reardon finds that girls’ dominance in school isn’t the case across demographics. — Alia Wong, The Atlantic, "Why Are Rich, White Girls Struggling in Math?," 18 June 2018 Of course, the fight against poverty cuts across all racial demographics and is a pressing concern as economic inequality grows in the U.S. — Anne Branigin, The Root, "In Event Honoring MLK, Bernie Sanders’ Comments on Race and Barack Obama Raise Eyebrows," 6 Apr. 2018 Diverse storytelling has legs, across demographics and time. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "Why 'ER' Is a Hit Again—Almost 25 Years After Its Original Premiere," 30 Mar. 2018 As demographics change, states that don’t work to ensure equal opportunity for all its citizens will not flourish. — kansascity, "Jean Paul Bradshaw," 30 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Human rights monitors say the arrangements amount to a program of political and demographic engineering in Syria to secure Assad's rule. — Philip Issa, Fox News, "Syrian rebels agree to give up Daraa, cradle of 2011 revolt," 13 July 2018 Human rights monitors say the arrangements amount to a program of political and demographic engineering in Syria to secure Assad’s rule. — Washington Post, "Syrian government raises its flag over cradle of 2011 revolt," 12 July 2018 Districts that were less geographically compact had lower voter turnout — measured both from election data and individual survey data — even controlling for district demographic and election characteristics. — Kevin Lewis, BostonGlobe.com, "Looking for negative signals," 6 July 2018 Irena Asmundson, a program budget manager for California's Department of Finance, said several economic and demographic factors play a role in the surging health care industry. — Kellen Browning, sacbee, "Roseville, a health care ‘hub,’ anticipates more expansions," 30 June 2018 Overwhelmingly white working class men, black cab drivers see themselvesas the gold standard in the taxi trade, but have seen real incomes stagnate amid the demographic and technological changes that have swept the city. — NBC News, "London's cabbies ask for 'fair competition' as court rules on Uber," 27 June 2018 With their merged data sets, the researchers were able to control for geographic and demographic factors. — Robbie Gonzalez, WIRED, "The 'Thanksgiving Effect' and the Creepy Power of Phone Data," 31 May 2018 In addition, new demographic studies showing the city had been underestimating life expectancies for its retirees prompted city pension officials to significantly increase the projected cost of pensions in 2016. — David Garrick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "If state Supreme Court rules against San Diego on pensions, it could could cost city millions," 14 July 2018 While babysitting and nannying may be the first options that come to mind, consider offering your services to a different demographic - senior citizens! — Alessandra Puccio /, NBC News, "Finding your (hidden) value," 13 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'demographic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.