English Reference
noun · verb

segment

n. · v.
US /ˈsɛɡmənt/ seg·ment UK spelling segmented, segmenting, segments

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.one of the parts that something naturally separates into, like a slice of fruit.

    n.one of the constituent parts into which a body or object naturally separates or is divided.

    Simple

    She peeled the orange and gave a small segment to her daughter.

    In context

    The insect's body is divided into several distinct segments, each protected by a hard outer shell.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

    n.a part of a larger group of people or a market.

    n.a specific portion of a population or market that shares common characteristics.

    Simple

    The company is trying to reach a younger segment of the market.

    In context

    The marketing strategy specifically targets the high-income segment of the population living in urban areas.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.a short part of a TV or radio show about a specific topic.

    n.a self-contained part of a broadcast programme devoted to a particular subject or interview.

    Simple

    The news included a short segment about the local flower show.

    In context

    The morning show featured a ten-minute segment on sustainable gardening before moving to the weather report.

  4. 04 C1 Advanced Technical Travel

    n.one part of a long journey, like a single flight.

    n.a portion of an itinerary, typically representing a single flight or train journey between two cities.

    Simple

    The first segment of our trip is a three-hour flight to Paris.

    In context

    The business traveller requested a change to the final segment of his multi-city itinerary due to a scheduling conflict.

  5. 05 C1 Advanced Technical Math

    n.a part of a line or a circle cut off by a line.

    n.a part of a line between two points, or a part of a circle cut off by a chord.

    Simple

    The teacher asked the students to measure the length of the line segment.

    In context

    The area of the circular segment can be calculated by subtracting the area of the triangle from the area of the sector.

  6. 06 B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

    v.to divide something into smaller parts or groups.

    v.to divide or partition a whole into separate sections or categories.

    Simple

    The software allows you to segment your email list by location.

    In context

    The researchers decided to segment the data by age group to see if there were significant differences in the results.

Usage specific segment

But for one large and growing segment of the workforce—workers over 55—that approach might not work.

Phys.org· 16 Aug 2026

The screen revealed hundreds of viral RNA segments capable of enhancing gene expression.

Phys.org· 14 Aug 2026

From Latin segmentum (“a piece cut off, a strip, segment of the earth, a strip of tinsel”), from secāre (“to cut”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin segmentum
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Common
Updated