Origin: Latin prefix sub-
Subset has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
a set whose members are members of another set; a set contained within another set
"The team's roster is a subset of the entire league because every player on the roster is also a member of the league."
A set A such that every element of A is also an element of S.
"The group of even numbers less than ten forms a subset of all integers because every number in that smaller group is also found within the larger set of integers."
"Math students often study set theory, which includes concepts like subsets and unions."
Usage: Use subset to describe any group where all its members are contained within a larger whole, rather than reserving it only for strict mathematical definitions in casual conversation. Avoid confusing this term with superset, which refers to the larger collection that includes the smaller one.
To take a subset of.
"The researcher selected a subset of patients from the larger clinical trial to test the new medication."
The word subset is formed by combining the prefix sub- with the verb set. It entered English as a mathematical term to describe a collection contained entirely within another larger collection.