member

noun

mem·​ber ˈmem-bər How to pronounce member (audio)
often attributive
1
: a body part or organ: such 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: such 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
Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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
Recent Examples on the Web Despite the key role their music has played in Egyptian politics, the band’s members are wary of being labeled a political act. Sara Ibrahim, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2024 In addition, the club will employ AI technology via wearable wellness devices to track members’ data and provide them with custom programs. Emily Burns, WWD, 24 Sep. 2024 His recently launched DeFi platform, accessible only to accredited investors and with a 20% token reserve for family members, raises concerns that his initiatives favor the Trump family and wealthy investors, over ordinary citizens. Tonya Evans, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024 This week, 115 Axios employees from 30 cities across the U.S. are meeting in Minneapolis for our annual Local team retreat, including Austin team members. Holly Moore, Axios, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for member 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'member.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of member was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near member

Cite this Entry

“Member.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/member. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

member

noun
mem·​ber ˈmem-bər How to pronounce member (audio)
1
: a part (as an arm, leg, leaf, or branch) of an animal or plant
2
: one of the individuals or units of a group or organization
a club member
3
: a part of a whole and especially of a structure
a horizontal member of a bridge
4
a
: the whole expression on one side or the other of a mathematical equation or inequality

Medical Definition

member

noun
mem·​ber ˈmem-bər How to pronounce member (audio)
: a body part or organ
the thyroid gland may be the offending memberH. A. Overstreet
: as
a
: limb
b
: penis

More from Merriam-Webster on member

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