member

play

noun, often attributive mem·ber \ˈmem-bər\

Simple Definition of member

: someone or something that belongs to or is a part of a group or an organization
: a part of a structure (such as a building or a bridge)
: a body part (such as an arm or a leg)

Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

Full Definition of member

1 : a body part or organ: as a : limb b : penis c : a unit of structure in a plant body
2 : one of the individuals composing a group
3 : a person baptized or enrolled in a church
4 : a part of a whole: as a : a syntactic or rhythmic unit of a sentence : clause b : one of the propositions of a syllogism c : one of the elements of a set or class d : either of the equated elements in a mathematical equation

See member defined for English-language learners

See member defined for kids

Examples of member in a sentence

The club has 300 members.
She is a member of the House of Representatives.
She is a member of Parliament.
a member of the audience
This bird is a member of the finch family.
countries that are members of the United Nations
a horizontal member of a bridge

Origin and Etymology of member

Middle English membre, from Anglo-French, from Latin membrum; akin to Gothic mimz flesh, Greek mēros thigh

First Known Use: 14th century

Synonym Discussion of member

part, portion, piece, member, division, section, segment, fragment mean something less than the whole. part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required <they ran only part of the way>. portion implies an assigned or allotted part <cut the pie into six portions>. piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole <a puzzle with 500 pieces>. member suggests one of the functional units composing a body <a structural member>. division applies to a large or diversified part <the manufacturing division of the company>. section applies to a relatively small or uniform part <the entertainment section of the newspaper>. segment applies to a part separated or marked out by or as if by natural lines of cleavage <the retired segment of the population>. fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off <only a fragment of the play still exists>.