subgroup

/ˈsʌbɡruːp/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsʌbɡruːp/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsəb-ˌgrüp/ (ame, mw)

subgroup — 名詞

  • subgroupsingular
  • subgroupsplural

1. a smaller group of people or things that exists within a larger group, typically

1.名詞B2
釋義

子群組

較大團體中的較小群體

a smaller group of people or things that exists within a larger group, typically sharing a common feature or purpose.

例句

The teacher split the class into subgroups of four students for the science project.

老師將全班分成幾個四人小組，進行科學專題研究。

collocation: split into subgroups

Within the engineering department, a subgroup focuses entirely on solar energy research.

在工程系內部，有一個子群組專門研究太陽能。

grammar: subgroup + focuses on

同義詞
  • division

    broader term; a division can be any part of an organisation, not necessarily smaller

  • subset

    more technical; used especially in mathematics, statistics, and data

  • subdivision

    focuses on the act of dividing; used in academic and formal contexts

反義詞
  • whole group

    the complete larger group that contains the subgroup

  • superset

    technical term from mathematics for a set that contains another set

文法句型

subgroup + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Frequently used with the preposition 'of' to specify the larger group: 'a subgroup of patients', 'a subgroup of voters'. Commonly follows verbs like 'form', 'create', 'identify', 'divide into', 'split into'.

常見錯誤

❌The team was divided into subgroups of.
✅The team was divided into subgroups of five.
💡'subgroup of' must be followed by the number or description of members, not used alone.
❌Each subgroup has their own leader.
✅Each subgroup has its own leader.
💡'subgroup' is a singular countable noun, so use 'its' not 'their'.

2. a specific category of people or items within a studied population, defined by s

2.名詞C1
釋義

子群體

統計或研究中按特徵劃分的對象組

a specific category of people or items within a studied population, defined by shared characteristics such as age, income, or health status, and used for comparative analysis.

例句

Researchers analyzed the responses of each age subgroup separately to detect generational trends.

研究人員分別分析每個年齡子群體的回答，以找出世代趨勢。

collocation: age subgroup

Patients in the over-sixty subgroup showed the most improvement after eight weeks of treatment.

六十歲以上的子群體在治療八週後改善最為明顯。

noun compound: over-sixty subgroup

同義詞
  • cohort

    more specific; a cohort is a group tracked over time, especially in longitudinal studies

  • category

    more general; does not imply being part of a larger studied set

  • stratum

    technical; used in stratified sampling; implies layers of a population

文法句型

[adjective] + subgroup

subgroup + of + [population characteristic]

用法筆記

In research writing, 'subgroup' is often paired with a preceding adjective that specifies the criterion (e.g. 'age subgroup', 'income subgroup', 'treatment subgroup'). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense appears almost exclusively in research, clinical, and statistical contexts where comparative analysis is the goal, not simply general grouping.

常見錯誤

❌The income subgroup analysis was done.
✅The income-subgroup analysis was done.
💡When 'subgroup' forms a compound adjective before a noun, use a hyphen.
❌We separated the data into different subgroups based on.
✅We separated the data into different subgroups based on age.
💡The basis of the subgroup must be stated explicitly.