demographic

noun dem·o·graph·ic \ ˌde-mə-ˈgra-fik , ˌdē-mə- \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Examples: demographic in a Sentence

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

That draws a young demographic away, including college students who chose not to return.

— author: naomi klouda, Anchorage Daily News, "Decline in Alaska population of millennials could be tough on employers," 7 June 2018
The whole bet with the Democratic Party in California is the changing demographics win it for them.

— Fox News, "Can AG Sessions sustain President Trump's Twitter blows?," 6 June 2018
Starbucks’ training was blanketed to every store, instead of being tailored to different demographics.

— amanda arnold, The Cut, "4 Starbucks Employees on What the Racial-Bias Training Was Really Like," 30 May 2018
Instead, data are being used to provide services to advertisers — allowing Facebook to connect customers with particular characteristics and belonging to particular demographics to people who want to advertise specific goods and services.

— henry farrell and abraham newman, Washington Post, "Here’s how Europe’s GDPR may take down Facebook," 25 May 2018
Lexington and Boise have more in common than just demographics.

— maria l. la ganga, idahostatesman, "Leaders came from Kentucky to hear why Boise is cool. Then the talk turned to growth. | Idaho Statesman," 8 May 2018
Washington Mystics star Elena Delle Donne said in a tweet that the problem isn’t the demographics that are or aren’t attending or connecting with the game.

— nina mandell, For The Win, "Adam Silver thinks the WNBA has a marketing problem -- but does he know how to fix it?," 21 Apr. 2018
Under Armour has struggled with steep losses and has seen its popularity fade among teenagers, a key demographic for sports apparel brands.

— christina tkacik, baltimoresun.com, "The Rock, other athletes star in Under Armour's motivational "Will Finds A Way" campaign," 20 Apr. 2018
After doing extensive research about the racial demographics for women of color in animation, Taylor couldn't seem to find much data.

— teryn payne, Teen Vogue, "Black Girl Animators Collective Aims to Make Animation More Inclusive," 5 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.

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

derivative of ²demographic

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1966

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Ecology Terms

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

demographic

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

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

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

—

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 foot traffic in Home Depot's do-it-yourself stores consists of a significantly broader demographic than those ducking into Tesla's sleek stores, where the vehicles on display cost upward of $100,000.

— marco della cava, USA TODAY, "Tesla pulls plug on Home Depot solar sales four months after national kickoff," 12 June 2018
For a large demographic, Stevens remains the preeminent songwriting comedian of their lifetime.

— isaac weeks, Billboard, "Ray Stevens Is Latest Country Star to Launch Own Venue With His CabaRay Showroom," 9 June 2018
Suicide rates are climbing in nearly every demographic, age group and geographic area, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

— jamie ducharme, Time, "Suicide Rates Are Rising In Nearly Every State, CDC Says," 7 June 2018
Now, ahead of Tuesday's primary, Democrats and Republicans in the jumbled congressional race that will feature 17 candidates on the ballot view Asian-American voters as a key demographic in their path to victory.

— dan merica, CNN, "Republicans, Democrats see Asian Americans as key to victory in Southern California," 2 June 2018
Backing for teachers cut across demographic, regional and partisan lines.

— valerie strauss, Washington Post, "New polls find most Americans say teachers are underpaid — and many would pay higher taxes to fix it," 1 June 2018
By thinking about space for young people—a demographic that doesn’t have much public space designed for them—these libraries have fostered a new base, and potential life-long users.

— diana budds, Curbed, "It’s time to take back third places," 31 May 2018
Most of our demographic is under 30 years old and even teenagers.

— erin sauder, Elgin Courier-News, "Down to Business: Living the dream by sharing records," 25 May 2018
But even modest improvements in millennial turnout could work wonders, given the large lean toward Democrats in that demographic (a net 27 points in the same Pew survey that showed desultory millennial interest in the election).

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "The Democratic Wave May Depend on Millennials Becoming Unusually Motivated to Vote," 17 May 2018

Origin and Etymology of demographic

demography + ¹-ic

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1882

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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