Definition

A group of items that are part of a larger group.

Example

The numbers 2, 4, and 6 form a subset of the even numbers.

Conversation

I was reading about different groups in mathematics, and they mentioned a subset.

Oh really? What does that mean exactly?

It's basically a smaller set that's part of a larger set.

Got it! So like the numbers from 1 to 5 would be a subset of all the natural numbers.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Subset → It is formed from "sub-" (meaning under or below) and "set" (from Old French *set*, meaning a collection or group). The word "subset" refers to a collection that is part of a larger collection, hence an 'under' or 'smaller' group within a 'set'.

Memory Tip

Think of a smaller group that is 'under' or part of a larger group — 'sub-' means under, and 'set' refers to a collection.

Visually Confused Words