membership
Americannoun
-
the state of being a member, as of a society or club.
-
the status of a member.
-
the total number of members belonging to an organization, society, etc.
noun
-
the members of an organization collectively
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The MGMT Solution," Vocabulary from Chapter 10
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
-ship
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
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
Church membership, which hovered near 70% of American adults for much of the 20th century, fell below 50% in 2020.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
He has a membership to Montecito Club, which is where we shot the exterior of our show.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
I had to pay for my own club membership now.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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.
