Segment
ˈsɛɡmənt
Definitions
2 meaningsA part of a whole; a section.
ˈsɛɡmənt
A part or division of something.
The report was divided into several segments.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're cutting a cake. Each slice is a segment! It's just one piece of the whole cake. Similarly, in life, when you are analyzing a large data set, you can divide it into individual segments, like individual groups of people.
👶 For kids: A segment is like a piece of a bigger thing, like a slice of pizza or a part of a long road.
More Examples
We analyzed the market segment most likely to purchase the new product.
A segment of the population expressed strong opinions about the new policy.
How It's Used
"The marketing team analyzed each customer segment to tailor their advertising."
"The geologist studied a segment of the rock formation."
To divide or separate into parts or sections.
sɛɡˈmɛnt
To divide something into segments.
The company decided to segment the market to better target its advertising.
💡 Simply: Like chopping a long piece of wood into smaller pieces. You're segmenting when you divide something large into smaller parts. You might segment your data so you can analyze it more easily.
👶 For kids: To segment is to cut something up into different parts, like cutting a sandwich into triangles.
More Examples
The software allows users to segment the video into smaller clips.
The lecture was segmented into three distinct parts.
How It's Used
"The software segmented the customer data based on their purchasing history."
"The city plans to segment the park to create different recreational areas."
Synonyms
Division
Part
Piece
Portion
Section
Divide
Partition
Idioms & expressions
market segment
A group of customers who share similar needs and characteristics.
"The company is focusing on a specific market segment for its new product."
segment of society
A specific group of people within a society.
"This policy particularly affects a specific segment of society."
From Latin *segmentum* meaning 'a piece cut off,' from the verb *secare* 'to cut'.
Used since the early 17th century, initially referring to parts cut off. The verb usage emerged later, reflecting the action of division.
Memory tip
Think of a segment as a piece of a puzzle, a part that fits into the larger picture.