What does "sample" mean?
A part or snippet of something taken or presented for inspection, or shown as evidence of the quality of the whole; a specimen.
Sample
/ˈsɑːm.pəl/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A part or snippet of something taken or presented for inspection, or shown as evidence of the quality of the whole; a specimen.
- Grammar: sample is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: specimen, adjunct, algae sample, aliquot.
- Useful contrasts: entire population, total population, population.
- Usage evidence: The doctor analyzed the blood sample for anemia.
How to use "sample"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sample" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sample" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sample" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sample" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sample" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "specimen" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sample", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A part or snippet of something taken or presented for inspection, or shown as evidence of the quality of the whole; a specimen.
"a blood sample"
- 2 Initialism of signs and symptoms, allergies, medications, past pertinent history, last oral intake, events leading to present illness. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
- 3 a small part of something intended as representative of the whole wordnet
- 4 A subset or portion of a population that is systematically selected for measurement, observation, or questioning, with the objective of generating statistical information that accurately reflects the characteristics of the entire population.
"Large samples are generally more reliable than small samples due to having less variability."
- 5 items selected at random from a population and used to test hypotheses about the population wordnet
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A small quantity of food for tasting, typically given away for free.
- 7 all or part of a natural object that is collected and preserved as an example of its class wordnet
- 8 A small piece of some goods, for determining quality, colour, etc., typically given away for free.
- 9 A borrowing of easily recognised phases (or moments) from other music (or movies) in a recording.
- 10 Example; pattern. obsolete
"Thus he concludes, and euery hardie knight / His ſample follow’d, and his brethren twaine, / The other Princes put on harneſſe light, / As footmen vſe."
Verb
- 1 To take or to test a sample or samples of. transitive
"They had just finished their breakfast, and the sight of the remains of it almost overpowered me. I could hardly keep my wits together in the presence of that food, but as I was not asked to sample it, I had to bear my trouble as best I could."
- 2 take a sample of wordnet
- 3 To reduce a continuous signal (such as a sound wave) to a discrete signal. transitive
- 4 To reuse a portion of (an existing sound recording) in a new piece of music. transitive
"To address this novel legal quandary, one legal treatise on copyright has developed the concept of fragmented literal similarity, a method of determining whether a sample-based work is substantially similar to the source it sampled. The name reflects the exactness of the similarity between the snippet of a track that is sampled and the sampled copy of that snippet."
- 5 To make or show something similar to a sample. transitive
"It means that a larger image field can be sampled from a lower resolution copy without much loss in comparative data, only the number of data points to be manipulated."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The doctor analyzed the blood sample for anemia."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sample"?
Common synonyms include: specimen, adjunct, algae sample, aliquot, aliquotation, aliquoting.
How do you use "sample" in a sentence?
The doctor analyzed the blood sample for anemia.
How do you pronounce "sample"?
Pronounced /ˈsɑːm.pəl/.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English saumple, sample, from Old French essample (“example”), from Latin exemplum. Doublet of example and exemplum.