sample
Americannoun
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a small part of anything or one of a number, intended to show the quality, style, or nature of the whole; specimen.
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Statistics. a subset of a population.
to study a sample of the total population.
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a sound of short duration, as a musical tone or a drumbeat, digitally stored in a synthesizer for playback.
adjective
verb (used with object)
noun
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a small part of anything, intended as representative of the whole; specimen
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( as modifier )
a sample bottle
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Also called: sampling. statistics
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a set of individuals or items selected from a population for analysis to yield estimates of, or to test hypotheses about, parameters of the whole population. A biased sample is one in which the items selected share some property which influences their distribution, while a random sample is devised to avoid any such interference so that its distribution is affected only by, and so can be held to represent, that of the whole population See also matched sample
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( as modifier )
sample distribution
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verb
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(tr) to take a sample or samples of
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music
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to take a short extract from (one record) and mix it into a different backing track
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to record (a sound) and feed it into a computerized synthesizer so that it can be reproduced at any pitch
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Synonym Usage
See example.
Discover More
Opinion polls use small groups of people, often selected at random, as a sample of the opinions of the general public.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have sampledperfect
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has sampledperfect 3rd person singular
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are samplingprogressive
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is samplingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am samplingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been samplingperfect progressive
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has been samplingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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samplessingular 3rd person
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samplingparticiple
Past
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had sampledperfect
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was samplingprogressive singular
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were samplingprogressive plural
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had been samplingperfect progressive
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sampledsimple
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sampledparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of sample
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English word from Old French word essample. See example
Explanation
A sample is a small part of something that either represents a bigger whole or is designed to let you try something out. You might ask to try a sample of an exotic ice cream flavor before committing to buying a whole cone. Sample comes from the Old French essample, meaning "example." In social science experiments, researchers try to find a sample of people to study that is representative of the intended population as a whole. At the grocery store, you might be given a sample of peanut butter on a little cracker to entice you to buy it. In that case, you are given the chance to sample, or taste, the product.
Vocabulary lists containing sample
Statistics and Probability - Middle School
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Scientific Investigation and Reasoning
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for September 4–September 10, 2021
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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.
By applying the same method to a larger sample of planets, astronomers hope to compare how atmospheric conditions change across different worlds and gain a deeper understanding of their three-dimensional structures.
From Science Daily • Jun. 11, 2026
That’s never happened before, based on a sample of almost 19,000 large companies, according to the authors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
A licenced clinic checked the sample four hours after we received it and said all sperm cells were dead.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
To be sure, this is a sample size of one.
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
A sample of tissue could be extracted from the body and tested for the presence of an array of toxic substances—from strychnine to arsenic.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
