What does sample mean?
A sample is a small part of something chosen to represent, reveal information about, or allow others to judge the larger whole. The word is especially important in statistics, where a carefully selected sample can be used to draw conclusions about a population, provided it is representative and appropriate in size. In everyday life, a sample may be a sip of food, a scent of a product, or a free promotional item. “Take a sample,” “random sample,” and “sample size” are established expressions. As a verb, “sample” can refer both to trying a small amount and to selecting material for analysis. Its long history as a word connected with tasting helps explain why it suggests investigation through limited but informative evidence.
A small portion or individual example taken from a larger quantity or collection for examination, representation, or display.
"The survey results were based on a sample of 500 households."
In statistics, “sample” denotes the subset being studied; in general use, it may also refer to a specimen, a promotional gift, or a small taste of food or drink.
To taste or test a small amount of something, or to select a portion for analysis or examination.
"Customers could sample several varieties of cheese before buying."
The sense involving tasting is common in everyday and commercial contexts; the analytical sense is common in scientific and industrial work.
The usual plural is “samples.”
"The technician compared the samples under a microscope."
A sample began as a small taste of food, so its modern statistical sense still carries the idea of taking a little to understand the whole.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sample come from?
The word entered Middle English through Anglo-French from a Germanic term associated with a small piece or bundle. Its early use referred to food or drink offered as a taste, and that sense developed into the modern meanings of trying a small portion and using something as an example. Later, the word was extended to statistics and scientific investigation, where a representative part provides information about a whole. Its derived forms, including “sampler” and “sampling,” continue to reflect both the physical object and the process of selection.
Related word forms
How sample is actually used
The noun is common in scientific, statistical, retail, and informal contexts. As a verb, it commonly means to taste a small amount, though in research it can mean to select and examine a representative portion.
Easily confused with sample
A specimen is an individual item kept or examined as evidence, while a sample is often a portion chosen to represent a larger group or quantity.
An example illustrates a general principle or illustrates how something works, whereas a sample is physically or statistically selected from a larger whole.