Subset

/ˈsʌbˌsɛt/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A set that is entirely contained within another set.

The set of even numbers is a subset of the set of integers.

Any portion of a larger group or category.

The group of volunteers is a subset of the entire community.

In mathematics, a subset is a collection of elements that are all members of another set.

If A = {1, 2, 3} and B = {1, 2}, then B is a subset of A.

Derived from 'sub-' meaning 'under' and 'set' from Latin 'satus,' meaning 'to place.'

proper subset

A subset that contains some but not all elements of the larger set.

null subset

The subset that contains no elements, also known as the empty set.

power set

The set of all possible subsets of a given set.

set

A collection of distinct objects, considered as an object in its own right.

element

An individual object or member of a set.

union

The set containing all elements of two or more sets.

A smaller or specialized group within a larger community.

That gamer community is just a subset of the larger online gaming world.

A specific category within a broader classification.

The tech startup scene is a subset of the overall business landscape.