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• member
  member

  noun

  a person, animal, plant, group, etc., that is part of a society, party, community, taxon, or other body.
• Member
  Member

  noun

  short for Member of Parliament

member

American  

[mem-ber] / ˈmɛm bər /

noun

• members
  plural

1. a person, animal, plant, group, etc., that is part of a society, party, community, taxon, or other body.

2. Government.

   1. a member of Congress, especially of the House of Representatives.

   2. a member of the British Parliament, especially of the House of Commons.

   3. any member of a legislative body.

3. a part or organ of an animal body; a limb, as a leg, arm, or wing.

4. Botany. a structural entity of a plant body.

5. the penis.

6. a constituent part of any structural or composite whole, as a subordinate architectural feature of a building.

   Synonyms:

   portion, element

7. Mathematics.

   1. either side of an equation.

   2. an element of a set.

8. Geology. a stratigraphic unit recognized within a formation, and mapped as such.

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adjective

1. being a member of or having membership in an association, organization, etc..

   member countries of the United Nations.

Member ¹ British  

/ ˈmɛmbə /

noun

1. short for Member of Parliament

2. short for Member of Congress

3. a member of some other legislative body

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member ² British  

/ ˈmɛmbə /

noun

1. a person who belongs to a club, political party, etc

2. any individual plant or animal in a taxonomic group

   a member of the species

3. any part of an animal body, such as a limb

4. another word for penis

5. any part of a plant, such as a petal, root, etc

6. maths any individual object belonging to a set or logical class

7. a distinct part of a whole, such as a proposition in a syllogism

8. a component part of a building or construction

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member Scientific  

/ mĕm′bər /

1. A quantity that belongs to a set.

2. The expression on either side of an equal sign.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• submember
  noun
• memberless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• members
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of member

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English membre, from Old French, from Latin membrum

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Explanation

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

member Member members

North Ayrshire Council described her as a popular and well-liked member of the school community, and said support would be available to staff and pupils at the school.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Local officials say he was not only a Basque separatist but also a member of ETA, the militant group that sought to carve out an independent Basque state from Spain and France.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

Lewis is a member of a grassroots organization called Ottawa United, and ran for Congress this cycle as a Democrat, though he lost on Tuesday to the incumbent Republican.

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026

But no matter who wins, District 9 will undergo a shift in representation after decades of being represented by a Black council member.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

"As Jonn says, we cannot risk it. We have already lost one member of our party."

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

In a recent hearing with representatives for Meta, Alphabet and other tech firms, New York City Council Member Shekar Krishnan grilled the companies on retirement-fund risks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Member of the Senedd from all parties have urged Welsh ministers to work with the UK government to make sure polluters pay for cleaning up contaminated land.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

"Member states have increased their defence expenditure for a borderline country like Finland. That's a good thing," Stubb said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

This is almost a third of more than 7,500 UK nationals ordered to leave the 27 EU Member States over this time period.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

Member wives look exhausted and tired of smiling.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

Prosecutors claim Nuño used the money she received to purchase property, cover start-up costs and pay family members.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

Neil Priscott, the club's chief executive officer, and Jenny Hall, head of audience development, informed members of the club's strategic direction and future plans, with members of the club board also in attendance.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

The company “wanted to make sure we were investing in that experience for our team members and for our guests,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

In Piqua, the Meta project was the last straw, Lange said, leading to the removal of two city council members and the mayor.

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026

I didn’t have the nerve to suggest he preach on the theme of “love thy neighbor,” but some members of his congregation, like Orville Payne, could stand to hear it.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

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Related Words

• male sex organ
• penis
• phallus

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