segment

1 of 2

noun

seg·​ment ˈseg-mənt 

1

: a portion cut off from a geometric figure by one or more points, lines, or planes: such as

a

: the area of a circle bounded by a chord and an arc of that circle

b

: the part of a sphere cut off by a plane or included between two parallel planes

c

: the finite part of a line between two points in the line

2

a

: a separate piece of something : bit, fragment

chop the stalks into short segments

b

: one of the constituent parts into which a body, entity, or quantity is divided or marked off by or as if by natural boundaries

all segments of the population agree

segmentary

ˈseg-mən-ˌter-ē 

adjective

segment

2 of 2

verb

seg·​ment ˈseg-ˌment 

segmented; segmenting; segments

transitive verb

: to separate into segments : give off as segments

Synonyms

Noun

• portion
• part
• section

Choose the Right Synonym for segment

part, portion, piece, member, division, section, segment, fragment mean something less than the whole.

part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required.

they ran only part of the way

portion implies an assigned or allotted part.

cut the pie into six portions

piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole.

a puzzle with 500 pieces

member suggests one of the functional units composing a body.

a structural member

division applies to a large or diversified part.

the manufacturing division of the company

section applies to a relatively small or uniform part.

the entertainment section of the newspaper

segment applies to a part separated or marked out by or as if by natural lines of cleavage.

the retired segment of the population

fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off.

only a fragment of the play still exists

Examples of segment in a Sentence

Noun

The railroad track is divided into segments.

I think I lost one segment of this model kit.

Verb

Market researchers have segmented the population into different age groups.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

If approved, negotiations for right-of-way acquisition for the western segment of the road expansion would stop and all offers would be rescinded, Ronaldson said. —Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025

The Rock last appeared in a big WWE segment at March's 2025 Elimination Chamber, where Cena, then a babyface, betrayed Cody Rhodes and helped The Rock and Travis Scott attack him. —Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025

Verb

Kraft Heinz maintains a global footprint with operations segmented into North America, International Developed Markets, and Emerging Markets, supported by 70 manufacturing and processing facilities worldwide. —Joe Cornell, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Online social networks are getting smaller and more intimate, as young people organize into group chats and segment their identities across different platforms. —Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin segmentum, from secare to cut — more at saw

First Known Use

Noun

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1859, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing segment

• inter-segment
• sub-segment

Kids Definition

segment

1 of 2 noun

seg·​ment ˈseg-mənt 

1

: any of the parts into which a thing is divided or naturally separates : section, division

2

a

: a part cut off from a geometric figure by a line

especially : the part of a circle enclosed by a chord and an arc

b

: a part of a straight line included between two points

called also line segment

segmented

ˈseg-ˌment-əd

seg-ˈment-

adjective

segment

2 of 2 verb

seg·​ment ˈseg-ˌment 

: to separate into segments

Medical Definition

segment

1 of 2 noun

seg·​ment ˈseg-mənt 

: one of the constituent parts into which a body, entity, or quantity is divided or marked off by or as if by natural boundaries

bronchopulmonary segments

the affected segment of the colon was resected

segment

2 of 2 transitive verb

seg·​ment ˈseg-ˌment 

1

: to cause to undergo segmentation by division or multiplication of cells

2

: to separate into segments