a person, animal, plant, group, etc., that is part of a society, party, community, taxon, or other body.
Government.
a member of Congress, especially of the House of Representatives.
a member of the British Parliament, especially of the House of Commons.
any member of a legislative body.
a part or organ of an animal body; a limb, as a leg, arm, or wing.
Botany. a structural entity of a plant body.
the penis.
a constituent part of any structural or composite whole, as a subordinate architectural feature of a building.
Mathematics.
either side of an equation.
an element of a set.
Geology. a stratigraphic unit recognized within a formation, and mapped as such.
short for Member of Parliament
short for Member of Congress
a member of some other legislative body
a person who belongs to a club, political party, etc
any individual plant or animal in a taxonomic group
a member of the species
any part of an animal body, such as a limb
another word for penis
any part of a plant, such as a petal, root, etc
maths any individual object belonging to a set or logical class
a distinct part of a whole, such as a proposition in a syllogism
a component part of a building or construction
A quantity that belongs to a set.
The expression on either side of an equal sign.
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English membre, from Old French, from Latin membrum
If you're a member, you belong to a group or club. The late comedian Groucho Marx famously said, "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." Go figure. When an object, like a plant or an element, is a member, it's also part of a group or class. A tiger, for example, is a member of the genus called Panthera, and it's also a member of the cat family. You're a member of the human species, and if you swim competitively, you're also a member of a swim team. The United States is a member, along with 192 other countries, of the United Nations. The Latin root of member is membrum, "part," and also "limb or part of the body."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Five years ago, everyone was told, “learn to code,” said Pascual Restrepo, an economist at Yale University and a member of Anthropic’s economic-advisory council.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
In a 25-page document created by investment bank JP Morgan, it is made clear Fifa's tournaments would expand to hit an estimated increased pay-out of 24m euros per member association in the 2035-2039 cycle.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas's negotiating team, said the movement was making "concessions for the sake of our people in the Gaza Strip".
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
JC Chasez, a member of N*Sync who also served as a judge on the show and was a talent competition participant himself, wrote in an email that he was excited to be in the mix.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
According to the press, one family member did make a surprise appearance.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Member Brian Lee also voted no, saying: "I think this endorsement can be potentially harmful, and I cannot in good conscience vote yes."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
In 2022, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire during Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, recognizing Tyler’s contributions to music.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Member feedback is taken seriously, the Justices’ attorney said, and the fee supports ongoing preservation and care of the Greenbrier property.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
“We thank Chairman Ted Cruz and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell for their leadership and efforts to address the challenges facing college athletics,” Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement.
From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026
Member of this and that Leading businessman and farmer.
From "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker
Hosted by With Love Projects, the sessions are focused on releasing tension and finding relaxation in a safe, inclusive space for LGBTQ+ community members.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Byamukama acknowledged Uefa's right to speak out, but suggested its members were not reliant on Fifa funding like many associations in the rest of the world where Infantino remains popular.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
The Fed held rates at 3.50-3.75 percent for its fifth straight meeting on Wednesday, with three of the committee's 12 members dissenting in favor of a quarter-percentage-point rate hike.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
These new members largely voted as a bloc in support of compounding the peptides.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
It landed down the road, where the lane was wide enough, and two crew members jumped out to guide Sue, Bruce, and Grant back to the helicopter.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
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.
