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

Hotel Pippa is a response, in part, to the changing demographics of the island. — Hannah Seligson, Town & Country, "Inside Hotel Pippa, the Buzziest New Place to Stay on Nantucket," 1 Aug. 2018 Ehrman compared boards in Atlanta, Boston, and Portland, Oregon, to the demographics of their service areas and customers and found that in most cases people of color and women were significantly underrepresented. Why does this matter? — John Greenfield, Chicago Reader, "Transit boards overwhelmingly male, whiter than ridership," 22 May 2018 Since the legendary Tiger Woods' career began a death spiral in 2014 due to a string of injuries, pro golf has searched for a marketable star like Woods, someone who appeals to all demographics. — Ron Higgins, NOLA.com, "Jordan Spieth hoping his hot Masters finish springboards him at Zurich Classic," 25 Apr. 2018 Although the researchers controlled for ethnicity, nearly 94% of the participants identified as Caucasian, meaning the results may not be generalizable to other demographics, according to Zeitzer. — Mark Lieber, CNN, "Night owls have 10% higher mortality risk, study says," 12 Apr. 2018 The basic differences in demographics between rural and urban regions do not explain these differences in obesity rates. — Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times, "Obesity Rates Higher in Country Than City," 21 June 2018 The efforts come as TV’s decades-old model for ad sales based on age and gender demographics is being disrupted by both ad-free streaming services and digital giants like Google and Facebook . — Alexandra Bruell, WSJ, "TV Networks Creating Targeted-Ad Capabilities," 13 May 2019 Advertising Kirkland is one of three Eastside cities — along with Redmond and Bellevue — where leaders have come up with a plan to build more shelter beds outside Seattle and spread services for different demographics. — Paige Cornwell, The Seattle Times, "Kirkland to get new shelter for women and families, as Eastside homeless population rises," 13 Apr. 2019 The spending is largely in line with demographics, as blacks represent 14% of the U.S. population, according to Nielsen. — Aisha Al-muslim, WSJ, "Big Beauty Taps Black-Owned Startups’ Loyal Customers," 11 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Today, the demographic revolution in Boston is made up of Millennials and seniors. — Barry Bluestone, BostonGlobe.com, "Finally — the tiny apartments that millennials need," 13 June 2019 Fargo also brings realism, as the nation’s aging demographic is on the upswing. — Mike Peticca, cleveland.com, "National Alzheimer’s Association official optimistic about eventual cure," 10 June 2019 The movie’s title is an exaggeration—about 5% of the city’s population identify as black—but based on a demographic reality. — Dan Kopf, Quartzy, "Data prove the truth of “The Last Black Man in San Francisco”," 10 June 2019 Nike’s female employees occupy the same demographic the company is betting on for sales growth. — latimes.com, "Nike is expanding its daycare benefit, and its employees are furious," 8 June 2019 Most of this demographic tend to have younger children and half of them make less than $30,000 a year. — Kynala Phillips, Essence, "New Data Shows Single Moms Are Dominating The Work Force," 7 June 2019 Nike's female employees occupy the same demographic the company is betting on for sales growth. — oregonlive.com, "Nike plans to close on-site daycare, triggering employee backlash," 7 June 2019 The study looked at 135 soldiers who died by suicide, and compared them to 137 living soldiers with similar demographic backgrounds and suicide risk factors, such as the number of times they had been demoted and their history of injury. — Arman Azad, CNN, "Storing a loaded gun at home raised soldiers' risk of death by suicide, study finds," 7 June 2019 This emerging critical mass of stylish eateries will serve an evolving demographic of discriminating diners made up of locals, tourists and the elusive San Diego resident willing to cross the bridge for a meal. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Why Coronado is San Diego County’s next A-list dining destination," 6 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.