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

variants: or less commonly demographical \ ˌde-mə-ˈgra-fi-kəl

, ˌdē-mə- \

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

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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

The efforts come as TV’s decades-old model for ad sales based on age and gender demographics is being disrupted by both ad-free streaming services and digital giants like Google and Facebook . — Alexandra Bruell, WSJ, "TV Networks Creating Targeted-Ad Capabilities," 13 May 2019 Advertising Kirkland is one of three Eastside cities — along with Redmond and Bellevue — where leaders have come up with a plan to build more shelter beds outside Seattle and spread services for different demographics. — Paige Cornwell, The Seattle Times, "Kirkland to get new shelter for women and families, as Eastside homeless population rises," 13 Apr. 2019 The spending is largely in line with demographics, as blacks represent 14% of the U.S. population, according to Nielsen. — Aisha Al-muslim, WSJ, "Big Beauty Taps Black-Owned Startups’ Loyal Customers," 11 Mar. 2019 According to The Hollywood Reporter, Killing Eve saw week-over-week growth in its first season in both the adults 25-54 and 18-49 demographics, a rare feat in the on-demand video age. — Stacey Leasca, Glamour, "Everything We Know So Far About Killing Eve Season 3," 8 Apr. 2019 Some media buying agencies and even smaller businesses rely on third-party software, like Adswizz, to find shows with specific listener demographics, which allows them to avoid looking at podcast charts or hunting for shows entirely. — Ashley Carman, The Verge, "Gaming the Apple Podcast charts is cheaper and easier than you think," 29 Nov. 2018 According to the American Psychology Association, the demographics for active psychologists working within the United States from 2005-2013 were overwhelmingly white. — Vanessa Willhoughby, Allure, "The Reality of Navigating the Mental Health System as a Black Woman," 13 Oct. 2018 Yet moving that needle is crucial, because a recent study proved the ways in which shows with at least one female creator impacted the demographics of nearly every other creative role. — Ella Cerón, Teen Vogue, "The 2018 Emmys Had a Diversity Problem Because Hollywood Still Isn't Inclusive," 18 Sep. 2018 Ahead of Saturday’s March for Our lives, Teen Vogue published profiles on young anti-gun activists from Ferguson to St. Louis to Riverton, Wyoming, showing how gun violence impacts different demographics across the country. — Aubrey Nagle, Philly.com, "Villanova heads to Final Four, Philly joins March for Our Lives, SEPTA plans a new bus route | Morning Newsletter," 26 Mar. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

In today’s landscape, this message and their presence are so important because gay black men have long existed in the shadows, whether underrepresented in the media or overlooked as the demographic most affected by HIV/AIDS in the United States. — Prince Shakur, Teen Vogue, "Frank Ocean, Moonlight, and the New Era of Queer Black Men in Pop Culture," 26 Mar. 2019 Millennials are the biggest demographic of coupon cutters! — Kaitlyn Tiffany, Vox, "Payless doesn’t need to trick bargain-hunting young people with faux-luxury hoaxes," 30 Nov. 2018 The poll also found women with college degrees are the most likely demographic to vote in the midterm elections. — Reid J. Epstein, WSJ, "Georgia House Race Shows Educated Women Are Midterm Prize," 30 Oct. 2018 After the 2010 census showed a big jump in the state’s Latino population, the Legislature was accused of drawing electoral maps that did not translate these demographic changes into political power for Latinos. — David G. Savage, latimes.com, "Supreme Court puts off further rulings on partisan gerrymandering and religion vs. same-sex weddings," 25 June 2018 In the past, the Finns Party has also said that young Finnish women should be encouraged not to study but to have babies instead to solve the country’s looming demographic crisis. — Jari Tanner, The Seattle Times, "Finns to vote on how best to save their welfare state," 12 Apr. 2019 That the sweaters also come in children’s sizes (for $160) is the main evidence of the target demographic: moms in their 30s to 50s. — Lane Florsheim, WSJ, "With Maison, Park Avenue Moms Gets a Club of Their Own," 26 Feb. 2019 The assumption is that the demographic for Star Wars movies, like the demo for MCU movies, is absolutely everybody, from the youngest kids to much older viewers who grew up with the movies in the 1970s. — Tasha Robinson, The Verge, "Question Club: Where should Star Wars go after Solo’s box-office disappointment?," 1 June 2018 The only demographic with more homicides is males age 26 to 35. — Jon Sauber, Indianapolis Star, "Raised by his brother, IU's Ian Thomas on verge of being drafted by the NFL," 23 Apr. 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.