demographic

adjective de·mo·graph·ic \ ˌde-mə-ˈgra-fik , ˌdē-mə- \

variants: or less commonly demographical play \-fi-kəl\

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of demographic

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 2c) and capacity for expansion or decline

demographic trends

a demographic shift

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demographically

play \-fi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See demographic defined for English-language learners

Examples of demographic in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of demographic from the Web

The data, which runs from May 2017 through Aug. 20, also shows MacCallum's program leading at 7 p.m. among the 25 to 54 age demographic, with an average of 390,000 viewers.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "Martha MacCallum to 'take the pulse' of Kentucky, broadcast her FOX show from state fair," 22 Aug. 2017
Demographic changes are also reshaping the state, especially in Anchorage, the largest city.

— kirk johnson, The Seattle Times, "Alaskans fear their identity is fading as the internet shrinks distances," 19 Aug. 2017
Pakistan's middle class - a rapidly growing demographic given to conservative, anti-American views - is the top conjurer and consumer of such conspiracies.

— chicagotribune.com, "Why Pakistan hates Malala," 15 Aug. 2017
After six months of twice-a-week yoga sessions, San Diego veterans reported a significant drop in back pain — one of the signature complaints of a demographic that suffers higher rates of chronic pain than the general population.

— jeanette steele, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Put down that painkiller, pick up a yoga mat: VA study finds yoga helps chronic back pain without pills," 6 Aug. 2017
One demographic that won't work for either casino venue is such family shows as Sesame Street Live and Peppa Pig.

— karen caffarini, Post-Tribune, "Entertainment venues to pick up slack once Star Plaza is razed," 28 July 2017
Rival theories blame populism on deep cultural insecurities prompted by demographic and social change.

— The Economist, "The power of populists," 20 July 2017
The Post’s unspoken assumption is that police killings should match America’s overall demographic statistics.

— nick selby, National Review, "Police Aren’t Targeting and Killing Black Men," 17 July 2017
Lintner said the club ran no special ticketing discounts for the rivalry game and credited the turnout to word of mouth and to some cross-promotion with Forecastle, which has a similarly young target demographic to Louisville City.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville City FC crowd sets attendance record against FC Cincinnati," 15 July 2017

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.

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".

Origin and Etymology of demographic

see demography

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1882

See Words from the same year

Other Ecology Terms

Malthusian, anthropogenic, biomass, carbon footprint, crepuscular, niche, sere, symbiosis, taiga, tundra

demographic

noun

Definition of demographic

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

See demographic defined for English-language learners

Examples of demographic in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of demographic from the Web

In the past, Flynn has said racial disparities are the result of the city’s demographics.

— jsonline.com, "Trust damaged between Milwaukee police and community, Department of Justice draft report says," 30 Aug. 2017
The president won Arizona by less than four percentage points last fall; the state’s demographics are becoming steadily more favorable for Democrats; and most forecasters expect that the 2018 midterms will be kind to Team Blue.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Cheers on Primary Challenge to Stalwart Supporter of His Agenda," 17 Aug. 2017
As Howard County's Asian community continues to grow, the police department is set to add an Asian liaison officer in the coming months in an effort to match its resources to the changing demographics.

— kate magill, Howard County Times, "Howard County police to add Asian liaison officer," 10 Aug. 2017
The switchover is an inevitable part of demographics.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Gen Xers and Millennials Out-Voted Older Generations in 2016," 2 Aug. 2017
Sure, Kessler blames the vagaries of modern life and demographics — because these things apparently didn’t exist when Democrats were making their big unrealistic promises in 2009.

— david harsanyi, National Review, "Media Keep Butchering the Facts about Obamacare," 28 July 2017
But while the services have been wildly popular among certain demographics (think Millennials and higher-income families), the companies offering them still face numerous hurdles that can prevent some customers from quickly getting on board.

— bailey loosemore, The Courier-Journal, "The online grocery craze is in Louisville. What does that mean for you?," 27 July 2017
But as gamer demographics shift, some are working to change that from the inside.

— laura parker, The Seattle Times, "A gamer channel on Amazon’s Twitch sends the trolls packing," 21 July 2017
One approach discussed by Matt Carmichael, an author and demographics expert, is to not categorize all millennials as lazy and entitled, but rather see them as unique, as 34 percent of them make up the largest share of the workforce.

— yadira sanchez olson, Lake County News-Sun, "Lake County business leaders urged to attract millennials," 23 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of demographic

see demography

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1966

See Words from the same year

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

DEMOGRAPHIC Defined for English Language Learners

demographic

adjective

Definition of demographic for English Language Learners

: of or relating to the study of changes that occur in large groups of people over a period of time : of or relating to demography

demographic

noun

Definition of demographic for English Language Learners

demographics : the qualities (such as age, sex, and income) of a specific group of people
: a group of people that has a particular set of qualities