demographic
dem-uh-GRAF-ik
/ˌdem.əˈɡræf.ɪk/
A particular sector of a population, often defined by age, income, or education.
As a noun, it refers to the group itself; as an adjective, it relates to the study of populations.
The story behind the word. The word literally means 'writing about the people.' It was coined in the 19th century as researchers began to systematically record data about human populations to understand social trends.
Word relationships
- sector: Sector is more general; demographic specifically refers to human population traits.
Commonly confused with
- population: Population is the whole group; demographic is a specific slice of that group.
Word family
- demography (noun): The study of statistics such as births, deaths, or income.
- demographically (adverb): In a way that relates to the structure of populations.
Collocations
- target demographic
- demographic shift
- key demographic
Example sentences
- "The company is trying to appeal to a younger demographic by using social media influencers." Marketing strategy.
- "The demographic shift in the suburbs has changed the political landscape of the state." News report on voting.
Memory hook
Demo (people) + Graphic (picture/data). It’s a data-picture of the people. Demographics draw a map of who the people are.
When not to use
Avoid using it when you just mean 'a few people'; it refers to large-scale population data.
Fun facts
- The '18-49' demographic is often called the 'holy grail' for television advertisers.
Related words
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