article

noun

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ar·ti·cle | \ ˈär-ti-kəl

plural articles

Definition of article

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a distinct often numbered section of a writing an article of the constitution

b : a separate clause

c : a stipulation in a document (such as a contract or a creed) articles of indenture

d : a nonfictional prose composition usually forming an independent part of a publication (such as a magazine) wrote an article for the newspaper

e : a document setting forth the terms of an agreement —usually plural The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the certificate of filing of the articles of merger and plan of merger …— Ruby Anne M. Rubioarticles of consolidationarticles of incorporation

2 : an item of business : matter

3 grammar : any of a small set of words or affixes (such as a, an, and the) used with nouns to limit or give definiteness to the application

4 : a member of a class of things especially : an item of goods articles of value

5 : a thing or person of a particular and distinctive kind or class the genuine article

article

verb

articled; articling\ ˈär-ti-k(ə-)liŋ

Definition of article (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to bind by articles (as of apprenticeship) (see article entry 1 sense 1c) He went to Durham Grammar School, was articled to a solicitor in Newcastle at seventeen, moved to another firm in London at twenty …— T. J. Binyon

Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing article Learn More About article

Examples of article in a Sentence

Noun I just read an interesting article on the city's early history. He has published numerous articles in scholarly journals. Article 3 of the U.S. Constitution. The company amended its articles of incorporation. Verb He articled at the famous law firm many years ago.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Read full article An eight-year prison sentence would be the longest among hundreds of Capitol riot cases. — Michael Kunzelman, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Aug. 2022 An earlier version of this article incorrectly said there were 32,000 more jobs in August than there were in February 2020. — Justin Lahart, WSJ, 5 Aug. 2022 An earlier version of this article misstated the name of the HBO Max’s parent company. — Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 4 Aug. 2022 The table at the end of this article lists all 53 products in the Lyons Magnus recall. — Chris Smith, BGR, 4 Aug. 2022 Think of this article as a permission slip to do what feels right and good to you without need for apology or explanation. — Virgie Tovar, refinery29.com, 3 Aug. 2022 Daniels’ letter to Marshall is attached to the end of this article. — Mike Cason | Mcason@al.com, al, 30 July 2022 While the New York Times has published a story on Rufo, this was not the headline nor the subheadline of the article, a New York Times spokesperson told USA TODAY. — Ana Faguy, USA TODAY, 28 July 2022 All of the dates and venues are listed at the conclusion of this article, along with ticket information. — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Only articles with more than 25,000 engagements were considered; 80 made up the final list. — NBC News, 29 Dec. 2019 Laurel Austin showed the police online articles about chlorine dioxide, including one from the Autism Research Institute, one of the first and most vocal organizations to push the discredited theory that vaccines cause autism. — NBC News, 14 June 2019 The redirect links were operated by a link-shortening service called Rebrandly and have since been taken down, but USA Really articles corresponding to the archived links are readily accessible. — Russell Brandom, The Verge, 24 Sep. 2018 Correction: June 4, 2018 An earlier version of this articled misidentified the president whom Michael Jordan skipped out on meeting. — Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 4 June 2018 Every week science journalists get a bunch of emails from various Respectable Scientific Journals telling us, in advance, what articles those journals are going to publish. — Adam Rogers, WIRED, 16 May 2018 This articled was updated with a report from Portland, Ore. — Times Staff, latimes.com, 21 Jan. 2018 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'article.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for article

Noun

Middle English, "item or statement (in a set of rules, doctrines, etc.), clause in a statute or will, item or detail of concern," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin articulus "connecting point of two bones, joint, part of a limb or digit between two joints, point of time, clause of a document, pronoun or pronominal adjective," from artus (genitive artūs) "joint, limb, part of the body" + -culus, diminutive suffix; Latin artus going back to Indo-European *h₂r̥-tú- "joining" (zero-grade derivative of the verbal base *h₂er- "fit, join"), whence also Greek artýs "order, arrangement" (recorded only by the grammarian Hesychius; from which Greek artýein "to arrange, prepare"), Armenian ard (genitive ardu) "order," Sanskrit ṛtúḥ "fixed time, order, rule," Avestan ratu- "period of time" — more at arm entry 3

Note: As a grammatical term Latin articulus was a translation of Greek árthron "connecting point, joint," which in the Stoic grammatical tradition designated both the pronoun (árthron hōrísmenon "definite article") and the article (árthron aóriston/aorístōdes "indefinite article," though Greek possessed only what is now considered a definite article in traditional grammar). In the later work of the grammarian Apollonius Dyscolus (2nd century a.d.) the pronoun was given a distinct term (antōnymía). The Roman grammarian quintilian clearly understood articulus to mean "article" in the current sense in stating that "our speech [i.e., Latin, in contrast with Greek] has no need of articles" ("noster sermo articulos non desiderat").

Verb

derivative of article entry 1