membership
Americannoun
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the state of being a member, as of a society or club.
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the status of a member.
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the total number of members belonging to an organization, society, etc.
noun
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the members of an organization collectively
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the state of being a member
Etymology
Origin of membership
Explanation
Use the noun membership to describe the people who together make up a group or organization. Your secret childhood club may have had a membership consisting only of you, your brother, and your best friend. Any official group has a membership, the people who belong to it. Your high school French club has a membership, and so does the United States Congress. You can also use the word to mean "the fact of being a member," like when you brag about your membership in Mensa, the organization for people with extremely high intelligence. The root of membership is the Latin word for body part or limb, membrum.
Vocabulary lists containing membership
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ship
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"The MGMT Solution," Vocabulary from Chapter 10
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-ship
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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.
I remember when he told me about the membership, I was like, “You pay how much? That’s insane, dude.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
The American Alpine Club has grown to more than 26,000 members today from 582 in 1963, partly because membership requirements have eased but also reflecting wider interest in the sport.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
The membership cards, which were stored in the Nazi headquarters in Munich, almost got destroyed during the last days of World War Two.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
"We shouldn't expect Hungary to become super pro-Ukraine membership all of a sudden," said a second senior EU diplomat.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
I decided to seek membership at the Wanderers Club—one of the finest, most prestigious and most exclusive of clubs in South Africa.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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.
