article
Americannoun
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articles
plural
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a written composition in prose, usually nonfiction, on a specific topic, forming an independent part of a book or other publication, as a newspaper or magazine.
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an individual object, member, or portion of a class; an item or particular: articles of clothing.
an article of food;
articles of clothing.
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something of indefinite character or description.
What is that article?
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an item for sale; commodity.
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Grammar. any member of a small class of words, or, as in Swedish or Romanian, affixes, found in certain languages, as English, French, and Arabic, that are linked to nouns and that typically have a grammatical function identifying the noun as a noun rather than describing it. In English the definite article is the, the indefinite article is a or an, and their force is generally to impart specificity to the noun or to single out the referent from the class named by the noun.
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a clause, item, point, or particular in a contract, treaty, or other formal agreement; a condition or stipulation in a contract or bargain.
The lawyers disagreed on the article covering plagiarism suits.
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a separate clause or provision of a statute.
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Slang. a person.
Trust me, this guy's not just any article, he's Mr. Right.
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Archaic. a subject or matter of interest, thought, business, etc.
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Obsolete. a specific or critical point of time; juncture or moment.
the article of death.
verb (used with object)
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to set forth in articles; charge or accuse specifically.
They articled his alleged crimes.
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to bind by articles of covenant or stipulation.
to article an apprentice.
noun
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one of a class of objects; item
an article of clothing
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an unspecified or previously named thing, esp a small object
he put the article on the table
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a distinct part of a subject or action
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a written composition on a subject, often being one of several found in a magazine, newspaper, etc
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grammar a kind of determiner, occurring in many languages including English, that lacks independent meaning but may serve to indicate the specificity of reference of the noun phrase with which it occurs See also definite article indefinite article
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a clause or section in a written document such as a treaty, contract, statute, etc
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formerly, undergoing training, according to the terms of a written contract, in the legal profession
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(often capital) Christianity See article of faith Thirty-nine Articles
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archaic a topic or subject
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of article
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Medieval Latin articulus “article of faith,” Latin: “joint, limb, member, clause, grammatical article,” equivalent to arti- (combining form of artus “joint”; akin to arthro-, arm 2 ) + -culus diminutive ( see -cule 1)
Explanation
A piece of non-fiction prose written for a publication is one kind of article. But a piece of a collection of something is also an article, like an article of clothing. If you're talking grammar, definite and indefinite articles are words, such as a, an, and the, whose purpose is to indicate, specify and limit a noun. An article of faith is something that is firmly believed. And an article of organization or incorporation is a section of a legal document that sets out rules for a company.
Vocabulary lists containing article
Language and Grammar - Introductory
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13th Amendment (1865)
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19th Amendment (1920)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In an article published last week, external, Burnham said he "wanted to go even further" but had "pushed to the very limits of what is possible to do".
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
The findings were published in the globally renowned journal Energy & Environmental Science and were selected as an Outside Back Cover article, highlighting their significance.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
After reading your article, “Should my husband take his Social Security at 62 and invest it?,”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, posted on social media a news article with only its headline: “Todd Blanche wins votes for Senate confirmation.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Next to the article is an advertisement for Liver Salt, some sort of ghastly drink promising “inner cleanliness.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
The Times of London and Telegraph newspapers have published several investigative articles into Arday's academic work and personal life.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Except for the part about reparations, the demands restated some of the 14 articles in the memorandum of understanding signed by U.S. and Iranian negotiators in mid-June.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
The tone of these articles differs markedly from Grossman’s war reporting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Early mixed-media pieces that combine articles of clothing and faux bricks feel unpolished, and other sculptures—oversize ice pops and a spring-mounted playground unicorn—are as superficial as his more iconic paintings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Chess Life, indignant at the disrespect shown Bobby, came to his defense, calling such articles “Fischer-baiting” and proclaiming them “utter nonsense.”
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
An earlier version of this articled misidentified the president whom Michael Jordan skipped out on meeting.
From New York Times ● Jun. 4, 2018
After leaving school in 1944 to become articled to a firm of accountants, he continued with semi-professional "vent shows" several nights a week.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 20, 2013
Briefly Frank was articled to a Cheltenham estate agent, before joining the Stroud News as a local reporter in 1956.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 25, 2013
Son of a British actor, Herbert Marshall fitted himself, at St. Mary's College, to be an articled clerk.
From Time Magazine Archive
“Is this young gentleman one of the ’prentices or articled ones of your office?” asked the turnkey, with a grin at Mr. Wemmick’s humour.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
If we demur to a doctrine because we cannot fully and adequately comprehend it, is not this too familiar from a creature towards his Creator, and articling more strictly with Almighty God than becomes us?'
From The English Church in the Eighteenth Century by Charles J. (Charles John) Abbey
Fortunately he went on probation of three weeks before articling.
From Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 2 Sexual Inversion by Havelock Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
