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Synonyms

charter member

American  

noun

  1. one of the original members or founders of a club, organization, etc.


charter member British  

noun

  1. an original or founder member of a society or organization

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of charter member

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10

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:

Tottenham Hotspur — charter member of the Premier League, owner of a state-of-the-art stadium, and one of the world’s highest earning clubs — is deep in a relegation fight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026

Of course, Benmont Tench III is most well-known for being the guy sitting over Tom Petty’s right shoulder as a charter member of the Heartbreakers, rocking away at the Hammond B3 organ.

From Salon ● May 27, 2025

Nat King Cole had agreed to be a charter member.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 28, 2024

Washington was a charter member of the Pacific Coast Conference in 1916, the organization that eventually became the Pac-8, then 10, then 12.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 4, 2023

Matt read the blurb under the picture: Esperanza Mendoza, the ex-wife of Senator Mendoza, is a charter member of the Anti-Slavery Society of California.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

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