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subset

American  
[suhb-set] / ˈsʌbˌsɛt /

noun

  1. a set that is a part of a larger set.

  2. Mathematics. a set consisting of elements of a given set that can be the same as the given set or smaller.

subset British  
/ ˈsʌbˌsɛt /

noun

  1. maths

    1. a set the members of which are all members of some given class: A is a subset of B is usually written A⊆B

    2.  A⊂B.  one that is strictly contained within a larger class and excludes some of its members

  2. a set within a larger set

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
subset Scientific  
/ sŭb′sĕt′ /

  1. A set whose members are all contained in another set. The set of positive integers, for example, is a subset of the set of integers.

Etymology

Origin of subset

First recorded in 1900–05; sub- + set

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

State officials used the system to search for information on a subset of about 6,000 voters they had reason to think might not be citizens, according to emails between federal and state officials.

From Salon

So far in 2026, a number of index funds that follow alternative strategies to track subsets of the S&P 500 or change the index’s weighting have performed quite well.

From MarketWatch

And yet a growing subset of the U.S. top tech and finance talent is dialing in from Southern Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal

“They’re exposed to a subset of companies with fragile balance sheets,” Newman said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The LA28 executive committee — a subset of its broader 35-member board — said it took “allegations of misconduct seriously” and attorneys had looked at the accusations.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.