segment 1 of 2

noun

ˈseg-mənt How to pronounce segment (audio)
Definition of segmentnext
as in portion
one of the pieces from which something is designed to be assembled I think I lost one segment of this model kit

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

segment

2 of 2

verb

as in to quarter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word segment distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of segment are division, fragment, member, part, piece, portion, and section. While all these words mean "something less than the whole," segment applies to a part separated or marked out by or as if by natural lines of cleavage.

the retired segment of the population

Where would division be a reasonable alternative to segment?

The synonyms division and segment are sometimes interchangeable, but division applies to a large or diversified part.

the manufacturing division of the company

When can fragment be used instead of segment?

The meanings of fragment and segment largely overlap; however, fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off.

only a fragment of the play still exists

In what contexts can member take the place of segment?

While the synonyms member and segment are close in meaning, member suggests one of the functional units composing a body.

a structural member

When might part be a better fit than segment?

Although the words part and segment have much in common, part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required.

they ran only part of the way

When could piece be used to replace segment?

The words piece and segment can be used in similar contexts, but piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole.

a puzzle with 500 pieces

When would portion be a good substitute for segment?

The words portion and segment are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, portion implies an assigned or allotted part.

cut the pie into six portions

When is it sensible to use section instead of segment?

In some situations, the words section and segment are roughly equivalent. However, section applies to a relatively small or uniform part.

the entertainment section of the newspaper

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of segment
Noun
Few claps for attacks on Ukraine Trump’s least popular segment of the speech, across party lines, was his critique of Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion. —Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2025 The work instead appears to unfold in segments that are vaguely linear, with the plot of the Shakespeare play abstracted into moving tableaux. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
Sure, all 10 cars were put through their paces on the same closed circuit of the Concours Club, just outside Miami, where the track was segmented into drills that included acceleration and braking tests, a slalom sequence, and an emergency lane-change maneuver, among others. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 11 Feb. 2025 Its trailing branches are flat, green and segmented without sharp spines. —Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for segment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for segment
  1. portion
  2. quarter
  3. part
  4. partition
  5. section
  6. bifurcate
  7. dissect
  8. divide
Noun
  • In all, tax credits and rebates will cover more than the cost of an average heat pump conversion and will cover a good portion of my more complex replacement.
    — Ben Roush, Baltimore Sun, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Penumbral shadow fades away As the last faint shading vanishes off the moon's right portion, the visual show comes to an end.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of portion
Verb
  • Before luxury quartered off the community and gentrified the kinship.
    — Marcus Thompson II, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
  • The buck stopped at 15 yards, slightly quartering to him.
    — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 29 Jan. 2025
Definition of quarter
Noun
  • The Macleay Museum recently became part of the Chau Chak Wing Museum in 2020.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 3 Mar. 2025
  • However, that was just the visible part of a much larger problem, Bright said.
    — Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of part
Verb
  • After World War I, the British and French partitioned the Middle East through the Sykes-Picot Agreement.
    — Sefa Secen & Serhun Al / Made by History, TIME, 7 Feb. 2025
  • One discovery was a surviving part of the building’s staircase from the 16th century, which had been concealed by a wall after the palace was partitioned into apartments, eliminating the need for such a majestic connection between the floors.
    — Jane Margolies, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
Definition of partition
Noun
  • Archaeologists began excavating a central section of Ostia Antica, an archaeological park roughly 15 miles from downtown Rome, as part of ongoing research at the site, park officials said in a March 10 news release.
    — Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
  • The exhibit had attendees embark on their own Alien-like adventure with a hurried escape-room style section that previews the Xenomorph climbing through the spaceship's tunnels.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of section
Verb
  • Either way, that both these possibilities suddenly exist on screen bifurcates the story between two equally didactic possibilities when its strengths lie in lingering uncertainties.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Lake Avenue, which bifurcates the two into east and west, had historically been a de facto segregation line preventing families of color from purchasing properties east of Lake Avenue.
    — Jireh Deng, NPR, 8 Feb. 2025
Definition of bifurcate
Verb
  • Characters dissect its backstory and hypothesize about its potential to inflict traumatic brain injuries from afar.
    — Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Recall the scene where Elliot frees the frogs about to be dissected in that film.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of dissect
Verb
  • Primary care has long been associated with the image of a busy doctor, divided between patients and the administrative grind.
    — Stephen Wunker, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
  • For decades afterward and until the advent of internet telephony, Druze families divided by the armistice lines who wanted to communicate with one another did so via megaphone in an area that came to be known as Shouting Hill.
    — Uriel Heilman, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2025
Definition of divide

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Cite this Entry

“Segment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/segment. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

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