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

One element of the resort that is changing, Gockel noted, is the demographics of who visits and becomes members. — Jeff Forward, Houston Chronicle, "Local nudist resort sees influx of new members, faces development challenges," 5 July 2019 The people Democrats need to be very concerned about turning out are the young and nonwhite demographics that did not show up for Hillary Clinton in 2016. — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, "What the Democrats’ Turn Leftward Means for the Party’s Chances in 2020," 3 July 2019 While the demographics of the student population have changed over time, the shift has not been mirrored in the district’s staff, Bridges has said. — Suzanne Baker, Naperville Sun, "Educator with ELL background hired as new Maplebrook Elementary principal," 4 June 2019 Another factor removing pressure on the Social Security disability program is demographics. — Eric Morath, WSJ, "America’s Hidden Workforce Returns," 26 Jan. 2019 That said, there are a few demographics that are more inclined to be lube-friendly. — E.j. Dickson, Vox, "There’s a stigma around lube. These brands want to change that.," 14 Dec. 2018 But twenty and thirty-somethings aren't the only skinflint demographic. — Riley Griffin, chicagotribune.com, "When it comes to tipping for service, millennials are cheapest," 18 June 2018 Part of the problem is demographics and labor market growth. — Erik Sherman /, NBC News, "With more open jobs than available workers, who will fill the positions?," 14 June 2018 That showed just how much political demographics have changed there, making the once heavily Republican district a true election battleground, at least when the seat is open. — Michael Smolens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Why the election makes it tougher for Democrats to govern in Sacramento," 8 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The maps and scatter plot chart show asthma rates in Denver neighborhoods and census tracts, and the table includes demographic data and can be sorted by value. — Kevin Hamm, The Denver Post, "Denver asthma rates by neighborhood," 30 June 2019 This once-a-decade count is the only source of basic demographic data on all individuals living in the United States. — Rebecca Tippett, Vox, "The citizenship question is blocked for now. But demographers are still worried about the census.," 27 June 2019 The demographic data tells its own story: The Republic was able to identify the race of 96% of the people Phoenix police shot in the eight-year span. — AZCentral.com, "Phoenix police shot at more people than NYPD did in 2018. Will that change?," 20 June 2019 When scouting for new spots to open in the U.S., Mr. Gonzalez relies on demographic data from Esri, a location analytics company. — Katherine Rosman, New York Times, "The Boutique Fitness Boom," 17 June 2019 Economic and demographic data was studied and best practices reviewed from urban areas around the United States. — Bob Morris, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Someone San Diego Should Know: Immigrant finds his calling with civic, cultural bridge-building," 17 June 2019 That could mean anything from learning that Trump’s thumbs-up and pointing gestures inspire more campaign donations — a fact — to which messages most encourage voters to surrender phone numbers and demographic data. — Evan Halper, latimes.com, "Trump’s big, early lead in Facebook ads deeply worries Democratic strategists," 12 June 2019 This demographic data in turn affects public policy and civil rights law. — Erin Blakemore, National Geographic, "Race and ethnicity: How are they different?," 12 June 2019 At the ZIP code level, the team crossed both the originations and foreclosure datasets with demographic data from the Census Bureau. — Nick Penzenstadler And Jeff Kelly Lowenstein, USA TODAY, "How we investigated reverse mortgage foreclosures," 11 June 2019

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.