subsection

subsection — noun

1. a numbered or titled part that sits inside a larger section of a written documen

1.nounB2
Definition

a numbered or titled part that sits inside a larger section of a written document, law, or official report.

Example

Minh highlighted subsection 4.1 of the lease agreement before signing it.

in + subsection + number for document references

Christopher divided the first section of his research paper into four subsections.

subsection + of + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • subsection of the report
  • in subsection
  • subsection heading
  • divide into subsections
Synonyms
  • subdivision

    more general; can refer to land or categories

  • part

    broader and less technical; not specific to document structure

  • subclause

    specific to legal contracts and legislation

Antonyms
  • section

    the larger division that contains subsections

Grammar Patterns

subsection + of + noun phrase

in + subsection + number

Usage Note

Common in legal, academic, and administrative writing. Subsections are usually numbered or lettered (e.g., 3.1, 3.2).

2. a smaller part or branch of a larger system, category, or group, seen as less im

2.nounB2
Definition

a smaller part or branch of a larger system, category, or group, seen as less important than the main divisions.

Example

Tanvi runs a small subsection of the company that handles European orders.

subsection + of [organization] indicating a branch

Aarav's lab studies a narrow subsection of RNA viruses linked to respiratory illness.

Common collocations
  • subsection of the population
  • subsection within the industry
  • narrow subsection
Synonyms
  • subdivision

    more formal; commonly used for categories in science or law

  • subset

    common in mathematics and data contexts

  • branch

    emphasizes the offshoot nature of the part

Grammar Patterns

subsection + of + noun phrase

subsection + within + noun phrase

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1, this sense does not require a document or formal structure — the subsection can be any subordinate group or category within a larger whole.

Common Mistakes

Please look at subsection 2 in the company rules.
Please look at subsection 2 of the company rules.
A subsection is followed by of, not in, when identifying which document it belongs to.

Word family

  • section
    nounB1
  • subdivisions
    nounB2
  • subdivide
    verbB2
  • subsections
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Section is the broader division that contains subsections — a report's Section 3 may have subsections 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3. Subdivision is more general and can apply to land, categories, or organizational units, not just documents. Subclause is a legal term for numbered sub-parts within a contract or statute clause, often interchangeable with subsection in legal contexts. Segment suggests a part separated along natural boundaries, like a market segment, and is less structured than a subsection. For example: 'The contract's subsection on payment terms was in Section 5, while each market segment was discussed in a different section of the report.'

section ↗subdivision ↗subclausesegment ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • divide into subsections
  • subsection heading
  • numbered subsection
  • subsection reference

Prepositions

  • subsection of
  • subsection within
  • in subsection

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Formed in English by combining the prefix sub- (meaning 'under' or 'lower') with section, which comes from Latin sectio ('a cutting, division'). The word has been used since the 17th century to refer to a part of a written text that falls below a main section level.