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

• cross section
• sample
• sampler
• selection
• slice

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

Here’s a sampling of the cheapest places to pump in Miami as of Wednesday, June 18, according to a survey from fuel-monitoring company GasBuddy: MORE: Gas prices have plunged 14 cents a gallon in Miami. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 18 June 2025

In a separate letter, sent Thursday, state Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Barbara) and three other state legislators urged California environmental regulators to step in and conduct soil sampling if federal disaster agencies continue to resist soil testing protocols. —Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025

Earlier this month, August Egg Company recalled shell eggs distributed in Florida after environmental sampling revealed possible contamination with Salmonella Enteritidis, according to the FDA. —Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025

For example, self-consistency sampling allows models to generate multiple solution paths and check for agreement, while self-critique prompts attempt to make models evaluate their own outputs for errors. —ArsTechnica, 11 June 2025

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