subgroup

noun

sub·​group ˈsəb-ˌgrüp How to pronounce subgroup (audio)
Synonyms of subgroupnext
1
: a subordinate group whose members usually share some common differential quality
2
: a subset of a mathematical group that is itself a group

Examples of subgroup in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
So what your company is doing is finding patients with similar symptoms, grouping them together, and then testing drugs on those subgroups so the trial is more likely to be successful? — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026 Not only did the scale of the broader violence across the South indicate a campaign to mass-murder an ethnic subgroup for political purposes, but Tillman, perhaps the most infamous of the Hamburg murderers, never denied the attack’s goals. — Jacob Ware, The Conversation, 31 July 2026 The board must demand relentless examination of data to understand how each subgroup of students in the district is performing. — Elaine Gantz Berman, Denver Post, 27 July 2026 Researchers are now evaluating various biomarkers as candidates for the development of better diagnostic methods or to define subgroups. — Isabella Backman, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for subgroup

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of subgroup was in 1826

Rhymes for subgroup

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Browse Nearby Words

subgraywacke
subgroup
subgular
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Cite this Entry

“Subgroup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subgroup. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

subgroup

noun
sub·​group ˈsəb-ˌgrüp How to pronounce subgroup (audio)
: a group whose members usually share some common quality that makes them different from the other members of a larger group to which they belong

More from Merriam-Webster on subgroup

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for subgroup

Nglish: Translation of subgroup for Spanish Speakers

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