Okuzeka
Mathematics vocabulary · Sets and Logic

Subset

Meaning in mathematics, with examples

/ˈsʌbset/nounCommon term

In mathematics, subset means: A set whose elements all belong to another set; {1, 2} is a subset of {1, 2, 3}, written {1, 2} ⊆ {1, 2, 3}.

In Turkish: alt küme

How it is used

A ⊆ B is read 'A is a subset of B'. A 'proper subset' is one that is not equal to the whole set. The empty set is a subset of every set, and a set with n elements has 2ⁿ subsets.

Example sentences

  1. List every subset of {a, b, c}; there should be eight.

  2. The integers are a subset of the rational numbers.

Common collocations

  • subset of
  • proper subset
  • number of subsets
  • is a subset of
  • setA well-defined collection of distinct objects, called elements, usually written inside curly brackets, such as {2, 4, 6}.
  • elementOne of the objects that belong to a set; 3 is an element of {1, 3, 5}, written 3 ∈ {1, 3, 5}.
  • unionThe set of all elements that are in at least one of two or more sets; the union of {1, 2} and {2, 3} is {1, 2, 3}.
  • intersectionThe set of elements that belong to all of the given sets at the same time; the intersection of {1, 2, 3} and {2, 3, 4} is {2, 3}.

More terms: Sets and Logic

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: