What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
subgroup
Example
The biology class was divided into subgroups for the lab experiment. [subgroup: noun]
Example
The team leader created a subgroup of employees to work on the new project. [subgroup: noun]
Example
The study focused on a subgroup of participants who had a history of heart disease. [subgroup: noun]
subset
Example
The set of prime numbers is a subset of the set of natural numbers. [subset: noun]
Example
The group of mammals is a subset of the animal kingdom. [subset: noun]
Example
The sample size was reduced to a subset of the original population. [subset: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Subset is more commonly used than subgroup in technical fields such as mathematics, computer science, and data analysis. However, subgroup is more commonly used in social sciences and organizational studies.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between subgroup and subset?
Both subgroup and subset are formal words that are typically used in technical or academic contexts. However, subset may be more commonly used in formal writing due to its prevalence in mathematical and scientific fields.
