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Synonyms

membership

American  
[mem-ber-ship] / ˈmɛm bərˌʃɪp /

noun

memberships plural
  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 British  
/ ˈmɛmbəˌʃɪp /

noun

  1. the members of an organization collectively

  2. the state of being a member

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of membership

First recorded in 1640–50; member + -ship

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing membership

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.

Grace Mausser, a DSA co-chair, highlighted the decision-making process in the group, which is rooted in membership votes.

From Salon • Jun. 26, 2026

An annual membership costs $235, which allows for an unlimited number of swaps.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

The academy met its initial post-#OscarsSoWhite diversity targets several years ago but has continued to expand and internationalize its membership.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026

All the parties also called for Donaldson to be stripped of his knighthood and removed from membership of the Privy Council.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

Meanwhile, the entire membership of the Mysterious Benedict Society, crammed inside an empty crate like a bunch of discarded dolls, peered out through the spaces between the crate’s wooden slats.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

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