subpopulation

British  

/ ˌsʌbpɒpjʊˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. statistics a subgroup of a statistical population

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Explanation

A subpopulation is a specific small section within a larger group of people. All American middle-school students would be considered a subpopulation of U.S. residents. Researchers studying a large population of people often break this group down into smaller, more manageable subpopulations. For example, when scientists examine the effects of a contagious disease, it's helpful to understand how it affects the subpopulations of older adults, infants, and people with preexisting conditions — as well as subpopulations including different genders, races, and ethnicities. Subpopulation uses the prefix sub-, "under," from the idea that subpopulations fall under the broader category of an entire population.

Example Sentences

Long-term possibilities could include distributing polar bear kibble, but Dr. Derocher said that it wasn’t possible to sustain a subpopulation that way indefinitely.

From New York Times • Jun. 13, 2024

By contrast, about 370 orcas are in the subpopulation of Bigg’s hunting the Salish Sea, Shields said.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 10, 2023

A mother bear's inability to successfully raise cubs contributed to the 40 per cent decline of the Southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation between 2000-2010.

From Science Daily • Oct. 18, 2023

Moreno Estrada and his colleagues used genetic markers specific to each of these ancestries to reconstruct the genetic makeup and size of each subpopulation going back 200 generations—or about 5000 years.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 11, 2023

The remaining Somali Wild Ass population, according to the IUCN, is left in Eritrea and Ethiopia with the largest recorded subpopulation being just 17 individuals.

From Reuters • Jul. 6, 2023