membership

[mem-ber-ship]

noun

1. the state of being a member, as of a society or club.

2. the status of a member.

3. the total number of members belonging to an organization, society, etc.

membership

/ ˈmɛmbəˌʃɪp /

noun

1. the members of an organization collectively

2. the state of being a member

Word History and Origins

Origin of membership¹

First recorded in 1640–50; member + -ship

Example Sentences

As Louisiana argues, “race-based redistricting rests on an invidious stereotype: that all minorities, by virtue of their membership in their racial class, think alike and share the same interests and voting preferences.”

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An Energy Department employee who left through the deferred-resignation offer has been picking up shifts at the front desk of a gym in exchange for discounted membership fees.

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Saying the bloc harmed Spanish interests in favour of France and Germany, he promised a referendum on membership if the EU did not "respect" Spain.

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Yet in recent years, membership at underground churches in China has been estimated in the many millions of people.

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Amazon’s Prime membership, the largest paid subscription program in the world with at least 200 million users, has helped the company become an integral part of consumers’ shopping habits.

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Related Words

• enrollment 
• participation