segment

1 of 2

noun

seg·​ment ˈseg-mənt 

1

: a portion cut off from a geometric figure by one or more points, lines, or planes: such as

a

: the area of a circle bounded by a chord and an arc of that circle

b

: the part of a sphere cut off by a plane or included between two parallel planes

c

: the finite part of a line between two points in the line

2

a

: a separate piece of something : bit, fragment

chop the stalks into short segments

b

: one of the constituent parts into which a body, entity, or quantity is divided or marked off by or as if by natural boundaries

all segments of the population agree

segmentary

ˈseg-mən-ˌter-ē 

adjective

segment

2 of 2

verb

seg·​ment ˈseg-ˌment 

segmented; segmenting; segments

transitive verb

: to separate into segments : give off as segments

Synonyms

Noun

• member
• part
• partition
• portion
• section

Choose the Right Synonym for segment

part, portion, piece, member, division, section, segment, fragment mean something less than the whole.

part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required.

they ran only part of the way

portion implies an assigned or allotted part.

cut the pie into six portions

piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole.

a puzzle with 500 pieces

member suggests one of the functional units composing a body.

a structural member

division applies to a large or diversified part.

the manufacturing division of the company

section applies to a relatively small or uniform part.

the entertainment section of the newspaper

segment applies to a part separated or marked out by or as if by natural lines of cleavage.

the retired segment of the population

fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off.

only a fragment of the play still exists

Examples of segment in a Sentence

Noun

The railroad track is divided into segments.

I think I lost one segment of this model kit.

Verb

Market researchers have segmented the population into different age groups.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Last year, the sector was the only segment of the S&P 500 to end with gains after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent oil prices surging. —WSJ, 11 Sep. 2023

This is just one segment of claims facing the company. —Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 8 Sep. 2023

That and more in this week’s listener question segment. —Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Sep. 2023

The sales decline was mainly in the pork and chicken segments, Tyson said. —John Magsam, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2023

Speaking of Harry Dunne, one segment features Daniels doing an interview between the character and himself. —Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 7 Sep. 2023

Since Apollo is the guide throughout the story, the audience only becomes privy to Emma’s experiences in Episode 6 (which is the most compelling segment). —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 7 Sep. 2023

Upcoming segments will include Antetokounmpo, Copeland, and aviation pioneer Bertrand Piccard. —Carol Besler, Robb Report, 7 Sep. 2023

The polarizing radio legend speaks in pithy soundbites that should help this hurried segment cruise smoother than others will. —Ben Flanagan | [e-mail], al, 6 Sep. 2023

Verb

Like segmenting targets or executing tactical next steps. —Laxman Papineni, Forbes, 3 May 2023

Who made the list The list was segmented into 25 large companies (1,000 or more employees) and 75 small- and medium-sized companies (10 to 999 employees). —Ted Kitterman, Fortune, 21 June 2023

Another way to look at the race is segmenting out voters who are only considering Trump and comparing them to voters considering him and at least one other candidate. —Kabir Khanna, CBS News, 13 June 2023

The compositions are often segmented into grids, and modeling and simulated shadows create the illusion of depth. —Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023

The Wai Kai Wave also goes on for some 100 feet and is segmented into three lanes, allowing for up to 10 surfers per lane. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 21 July 2023

The various topics Dreamers & Doers has been publishing articles on have also inspired new offerings for the community, including dedicated programming and masterminds segmented for six-, seven-, and eight-figure business leaders, plus events focused on industry specializations. —Jia Wertz, Forbes, 17 July 2023

The findings were also racially segmented, Elliot said. —Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 21 June 2023

Who made the list The list was segmented into two categories: Large companies with more than 1,000 employees and small- and medium-sized companies with 10 to 999 employees. —Ted Kitterman, Fortune, 21 June 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin segmentum, from secare to cut — more at saw

First Known Use

Noun

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1859, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing segment

• inter-segment
• sub-segment

• inter-segment
• sub-segment

Kids Definition

segment

1 of 2 noun

seg·​ment ˈseg-mənt 

1

: any of the parts into which a thing is divided or naturally separates : section, division

2

a

: a part cut off from a geometric figure by a line

especially : the part of a circle enclosed by a chord and an arc

b

: a part of a straight line included between two points

called also line segment

segmented

ˈseg-ˌment-əd

seg-ˈment-

adjective

segment

2 of 2 verb

seg·​ment ˈseg-ˌment 

: to separate into segments

Medical Definition

segment

1 of 2 noun

seg·​ment ˈseg-mənt 

: one of the constituent parts into which a body, entity, or quantity is divided or marked off by or as if by natural boundaries

bronchopulmonary segments

the affected segment of the colon was resected

segment

2 of 2 transitive verb

seg·​ment ˈseg-ˌment 

1

: to cause to undergo segmentation by division or multiplication of cells

2

: to separate into segments