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

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 These roommate-finding sites cater to various demographics — again, like dating apps — some target homeowners aiming to rent out a room, others are for those who want older roommates or college housemates. — Danielle Braff, chicagotribune.com, "Fallen out of love with your roommate? Find your next one Tinder-style," 18 Jan. 2018 The 2017-2018 flu season was particularly terrible: 710,000 people were hospitalized, and the CDC estimates that more than 80,000 died, some of which were considered typical at-risk demographics, like elderly persons. — Lindsey Vehlewald, SELF, "We Never Got Flu Shots. Then the Flu Almost Killed My Husband," 9 Nov. 2018 The brand has been slow to invest in digital marketing and e-commerce, losing market share among younger shoppers who have become one of the luxury’s core demographics. — Suzanne Kapner, WSJ, "Michael Kors Woos Versace in Push for Foothold in High Fashion," 24 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

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 PornHub also notes that the demographic most likely to search for golden showers is men over 65, a group to which Trump has belonged for some time. — Madeleine Aggeler, The Cut, "Absolutely Every Single Thing We Know About the Pee Tape," 13 Apr. 2018 When the demographic is 50 or older, the support for legalization grows to 46% while opposition is 42%. — Kathleen Gray, Detroit Free Press, "Poll: Older people support medical marijuana, not full legalization," 3 Apr. 2018 Wagner said the elderly demographic in the area was a consideration as well as the location's proximity to Interstate 74 and Mercy Health - West Hospital. — Forrest Sellers, Cincinnati.com, "New senior living community coming to West Side," 30 Mar. 2018 In 2016, in California’s 39th congressional district, over 50% of the vote went to Secretary Clinton, and the demographic is majority-minority (with 31.88% identifying as Asian), according to U.S. census bureau figures. — Nadya Okamoto, Teen Vogue, "4 Asian-American Politicians You Need to Know About," 16 Feb. 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.