sampling

1 of 2

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

sampling

2 of 2

present participle of sample entry 2

Synonyms of sampling

Noun

• sample

Examples of sampling in a Sentence

Noun

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

Noun

In prior internal meetings and emails, staff and consultants had criticized Citation’s water sampling practices as biased in favor of the company’s conclusion that rainfall was causing old pollution to resurface. — Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 27 Oct. 2026

That said, guests can piecemeal their experience and opt in for a day trip to the Saturday night Grand Tasting ($150 per person), the Sunday Jazz Brunch ($135 per person) or just wander the festival, eating, drinking and sampling. — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026

Supply chain friction, endless revisions to technical documentation, language barriers across global factories and long sampling cycles often mean bringing a single clothing item to market takes months or over a year. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026

As title sponsor of the WTA’s flagship event, Fage will have brand visibility across broadcast and venue, product sampling, fan experiences and hospitality at the WTA Finals. — Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

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