# subsume

## subsume

**See subsumption test.**

## subsumption test

A test to determine if a specified candidate concept or expression is a subtype descendant of another specified concept or expression.

#### Notes

* Literally speaking a *subsumption* *test* determines if one concept is *subsumed* by another.
* In the context of SNOMED CT a *concept* is *subsumed by* its supertypes and *subsumes* its subtypes. So the following terms are for all practical purposes interchangeable.

| **Uses of the terms subsumption and subsume** | **Equivalent uses of the words supertype and subtype** |
| --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| **subsumption test**                          | **subtype test**                                       |
| A **subsumes** B                              | A **is a supertype of** B                              |
| A **is subsumed by** C                        | A **is a subtype of** C                                |

#### Examples

* To answer the question "*Which patients have an infectious disease?"* involves finding all of the patients with records that include a concept or expression that is subsumed by the concept [40733004 | Infectious disease (disorder)|](http://snomed.info/id/40733004) .

## Alternatives

* **Subtype test**

##

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