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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

Etymology

Origin of member

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

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

The front-runner was Francesca Hong, a State Assemblywoman and DSA member who, according to the scant few surveys conducted, held a dominant lead over the moderate candidates in the field.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

Aya Lewkowicz, a member of the Pink Front activist movement who came from overwhelmingly secular Tel Aviv to help protect the Jerusalem cafe, said Israelis should choose for themselves how to observe Shabbat.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

Jane Swanson, a board member of Mothers for Peace, waits to speak during public comment following a hearing for extending the operation of Diablo on July 30.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Both sides agree that the body of one crew member from the two-person jets was recovered, but the other three crew members have never turned up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

Was she going to have someone search the whole country for a member of the Warne family stupid enough to take a hopeless, helpless girl?

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Kiera Marshall, Member of Senedd for Caerdydd Penarth said she could not believe the "level of destruction caused" to homes.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Member nations of the ICC voted to remove Khan, 82 to 13 with 15 abstentions, officials familiar with the matter said, in a tense session at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

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

“Master Archivist, what is the punishment for Conduct Unbecoming a Member of the Arcanum?”

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

The witness list includes several of Shakur’s family members and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, who was formerly an officer of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

None of his fellow chain crew members come close to equaling Moreno’s years of service.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

Of the more experienced members of Carrick's squad, Joshua Zirkzee is hugely popular and has ability.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

On Nov. 3, voters will elect members of the House of Representatives and Senate.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

Mom and the other GSC members are too wrapped up in the unknowns.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Related Words

• male sex organ
• penis