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.
The American Association of Individual Investors also posted a big uptick in bullish sentiment from its membership this week, with some 46% of respondents signaling stocks are likely to rise over the next six months.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
Total membership at English golf clubs rose from 730,602 in 2024 to 750,071 in 2025 – with junior membership growing by more than 34% in 2025, rising from 46,028 to 61,483.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
The higher pricing was partially offset by membership declines, as the number of seniors served through Medicare Advantage dropped by 965,000 during the quarter.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026
To attract fliers, Wheels Up is additionally upgrading the company’s aging fleet of jets and merging its two business segments, membership and charter, to create a more seamless experience for travelers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
And she made a special membership card for her and even a WHJ sign that she helped Jessie glue onto her Writers' Workshop folder.
From "The Lemonade War" by Jacqueline Davies
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.
