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

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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

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 But the views vary widely, depending on demographics. — Christopher Keating, courant.com, "Q Poll: Voters Disagree With Donald Trump On Protesting NFL Players," 7 June 2018 Idaho is conservative, but as Vox noted at the time of Jordan’s victory, the state’s demographics are changing, and Jordan represents a new, left-leaning populist wave within the Democratic Party that could play well with voters. — Sarah Jones, The New Republic, "Will New Mexico give America its first Native American congresswoman?," 6 June 2018 The demographics of schools in southwest Baltimore County are changing, and teachers are looking to recognize and celebrate those shifts. — Cody Boteler, baltimoresun.com, "'A mountaintop that you cannot see': How Lansdowne and Catonsville high schools are striving to recognize and celebrate diversity," 8 May 2018 But the demographics of typical college students are changing, and for many, hunger is a serious reality, Dr. Goldrick-Rab said. — Mary Esch, The Christian Science Monitor, "On-campus food pantries help struggling students succeed in school," 18 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

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 The Halberstadt grave is also unique in its demographic makeup, which is heavily tilted toward young adult males. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "7,000-Year-Old German Grave Shows New Side of Neolithic Brutality," 11 July 2018 Middle children, the most populous birth-order demographic throughout most of human history, will soon be the tiniest. — Adam Sternbergh, The Cut, "The Extinction of the Middle Child," 11 July 2018 Industrial market logic views these people as atomized, perhaps with demographic characteristics by which they can be grouped and counted, but rarely as immersed in relationships with one another. — Nancy Baym, WIRED, "Book Excerpt: How Music Fans Built the Internet," 10 July 2018 Nevertheless, our headline result is that for all other demographic divisions and cultural dimensions, cultural distance has been broadly constant over time. — Jeet Heer, The New Republic, "White Americans love Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer—and flashlights.," 10 July 2018 But there are three reasons to worry: a lack of innovation in local firms, a coming demographic squeeze and an over-dependence on foreigners, especially German ones, to drive development. — The Economist, "Central Europe’s Goldilocks economies," 5 July 2018 As with congressional districts, a lot rides on how a district chooses to draw these boundaries, with gerrymandering exacerbating demographic differences between neighborhoods and towns. — Jack Schneider, The Atlantic, "The Problem With Generalizing About ‘America’s Schools’," 5 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.