sampling

noun

sam·​pling ˈsam-pliŋ 

for senses 1 & 3

-p(ə-)liŋ 

1

: the act, process, or technique of selecting a suitable sample

specifically : the act, process, or technique of selecting a representative part of a population for the purpose of determining parameters or characteristics of the whole population

2

: a small part selected as a sample for inspection or analysis

ask a sampling of people which candidate they favor

3

: the introduction or promotion of a product by distributing trial packages of it

Synonyms of sampling

• sample

Examples of sampling in a Sentence

The reporter asked a sampling of people about their eating habits.

a sampling of the menu's entrées

We were given a sampling of the food.

The band does a lot of sampling.

Recent Examples on the Web

State Farm violated the law hundreds of times in a sampling of 220 cases, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said. —CNN Money, 4 May 2026

Dermalogica will also be gifting SPF sampling in the Paddock Club and Cabana Suites’ welcome baskets and more. —Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 1 May 2026

One can decry Broadway’s fearful economic dependence on the familiar while still recognizing, as this sampling of the spring musical season illustrates, that all art is fundamentally an act of reinvention. —Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026

Start off with a coffee and sampling of bread and butter for the table. —Nathanael Gassett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sampling

• chorionic villus sampling

Rhymes for sampling

• trampling
• resampling
• subsampling

Medical Definition

sampling

noun

sam·​pling ˈsam-pliŋ 

1

: the act, process, or technique of selecting a suitable sample

specifically : the act, process, or technique of selecting a representative part of a population for the purpose of determining parameters or characteristics of the whole population

2

: sample

obtain a sampling of urine