participation
Americannoun
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an act or instance of participating.
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the fact of taking part, as in some action or attempt.
participation in a celebration.
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a sharing, as in benefits or profits.
participation in a pension plan.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of participation
First recorded in 1325–75; from Late Latin participātiōn-, stem of participātiō; equivalent to participate + -ion; replacing Middle English participacioun, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin, as above
Explanation
Participation in extracurricular activities makes you a well-rounded person. Getting involved in different groups and pursuits is not only educational, but also an opportunity to make lifelong friends. Notice that the first syllable in this noun is part-, as in, “take part.” Participation is the act of participating, or being related to a larger whole. Another word for this is involvement. A person can enjoy participation in a club, a celebration, or even a conversation.
Vocabulary lists containing participation
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Sports and Hobbies
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Part 1 Vocabulary (Unit 5)
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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.
Participation gaps are much smaller in countries where chess is taught in primary school, such as Mongolia, where nearly 40% of players registered with Fide are female, 35% in Sri Lanka and 30% in Uganda.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026
Participation increased the chances of receiving weight related care by 23%.
From Science Daily • Jan. 17, 2026
Participation in such groups, often known as “house churches,” has become far more dangerous in recent years as the government has clamped down on civil society writ large.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026
Participation in running clubs has increased 25% over five years, per Running USA, with the strongest growth among adults ages 20 to 29.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 14, 2025
“That’s better. Participation is welcome, but one at a time. Let’s do talk about baseball!”
From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord
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.
