undercount

verb

un·​der·​count ˌən-dər-ˈkau̇nt How to pronounce undercount (audio)
undercounted; undercounting; undercounts

transitive verb

: to count fewer than the actual number of
undercount noun

Examples of undercount in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Even those figures may undercount the creator economy’s real impact, said Erica Groshen, the former head of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Taylor Lorenz, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2023 Related: The next Census could undercount the number of disabled Americans by 20 million This approach is known as data disaggregation: breaking down the information into smaller, more specific variables. Juan Carlos Gonzalez Jr., STAT, 19 Dec. 2023 Formal complaints likely undercount the true extent of the practices. Deb Gordon, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 What’s more, studies have shown that the methods for estimating emissions employed by the USDA and the Environmental Protection Agency might drastically undercount livestock methane emissions. Jan Dutkiewicz, The New Republic, 5 Sep. 2023 Some blockages may be reported more than once, but local officials contend that the database greatly undercounts blockages. Niraj Chokshi, New York Times, 11 July 2023 The officials cautioned that casualty figures remained difficult to estimate because Moscow is believed to routinely undercount its war dead and injured, and Kyiv does not disclose official figures. Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2023 The officials cautioned that casualty figures remained difficult to estimate because Russia is believed to routinely undercount its war dead and injured, and Ukraine does not disclose official figures. Helene Cooper, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Aug. 2023 Scientists say both sets of federal data significantly undercount the number of heat deaths because they are drawn from death certificates, which often overlook heat. Politifact Staff Writer, Dallas News, 29 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'undercount.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of undercount was in 1951

Dictionary Entries Near undercount

Cite this Entry

“Undercount.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undercount. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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