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

Real-time tracking cuts costly checks Nuclear facilities currently rely on a combination of instruments, physical security measures, manual sampling and periodic shutdowns to determine how much nuclear material is present and where it is located. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026

Higher-quality polls rely on expensive methodologies, such as randomized sampling, so many pollsters opt for cheaper solutions. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

Here is a sampling of what’s going on in the San Fernando Valley and the greater Los Angeles area this week. — Holly Andres, Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026

The moment a trend is approved, the system scans regional mill inventories to identify available stock fabric instantly, cutting days out of traditional sampling cycles. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 12 Aug. 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