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

Since its formation one year ago, membership in the Alliance has nearly tripled. —Don Tse, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025

Thanks to the appearance, Lewis-Martin also gained membership in the Screen Actors Guild union representing actors. —Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2025

The platform aims to create additional revenue through tiered memberships, creator tools, and platform fees. —Andrew McGowan, Variety, 19 Aug. 2025

The country's officials have repeatedly said NATO membership for Ukraine is the best security guarantee Kyiv could have. —Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 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