membership

noun

mem·​ber·​ship ˈmem-bər-ˌship 

plural memberships

1

: the state or status of being a member

2

: the body of members

an organization with a large membership

3

mathematics : the relation between an element of a set (see set entry 2 sense 21) or class and the set or class itself compare inclusion sense 3a

Examples of membership in a Sentence

What is the cost of a one-year membership?

Membership in the club doubled last year.

clubs that are hoping to increase their membership

The club has a large membership.

clubs that are hoping to increase their memberships

Recent Examples on the Web

Zelenskyy said during the talks that Kyiv was willing to give up its NATO membership ambitions in order to secure a deal to end the war. —Chloe Taylor,greg Kennedy, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2025

Access varies by airport and airline — but lounge membership or elite status typically offers the most reliable option. —Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 16 Dec. 2025

How to Book The hotel is part of Hyatt’s World of Hyatt loyalty program, which allows members to earn and redeem points for each stay, and offers additional perks like free upgrades and late checkout, depending on your membership tier. —Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025

For the former Soviet satellites in Europe, NATO membership implied protection against Russia. —Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for membership

• authorship
• battleship
• censorship
• chairmanship
• chieftainship
• comradeship
• consulship
• craftsmanship
• dealership
• draftsmanship
• fellowship
• fingertip

Kids Definition

membership

noun

mem·​ber·​ship ˈmem-bər-ˌship 

1

: the state or status of being a member

2

: all the members of an organization