subset

noun

sub·​set ˈsəb-ˌset 

1

: a set each of whose elements is an element of an inclusive set

2

: division, portion

a subset of our community

Examples of subset in a Sentence

The set {1,2,3} is a subset of the set {1,2,3,4,5}.

Only a small subset of the patients in the study experienced these side effects.

Recent Examples on the Web

That left a tiny subset of the eyewear retail stores owned by Meta’s smartglass partner EssilorLuxottica, with the closest option for him on the East Side of Manhattan. —Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 4 Oct. 2025

Bradley donated nearly 400 works of 20th-century art to the museum in 1975, including ones by Pablo Picasso, Georgia O'Keeffe and Andy Warhol, with an impressive subset of art by German Expressionists. —Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025

And that’s just a subset of live entertainment space. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025

The scientists analyzed the data of 23,088 people who had DXA scans of their arms, legs and trunk fat, as well as a smaller subset of 18,886 participants who also had visceral fat measurements taken. —New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for subset

• abet
• asset
• baguette
• banquette
• barbette
• beget
• beset
• brevet
• briquette
• brunet
• brunette
• burette

Kids Definition

subset

noun

sub·​set ˈsəb-ˌset 

: a mathematical set that is a part of another mathematical set

the set of even numbers is a subset of the set of all numbers