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

This creates a tricky situation for Serbia, a candidate for European Union membership and one of the few European countries not to have imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Read more on Barron's

Fellow Englishmen Canter, John Parry and Jordan Smith have also attained membership, while Neergaard-Petersen's strong finish also secured a spot.

Read more on BBC

Four people were under investigation for "alleged membership of a criminal organization dedicated to the illegal trafficking of exotic animals," the statement said.

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All agreements announced this month are pending ratification by the unions’ membership.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But one area where unions have seen membership grow in recent years is among media companies, where employees have endured years of layoffs and other cuts as the industry has financially declined.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• enrollment 
• participation