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

Senators Can Lose Their Seat At Any Time Faculty can have their senate membership removed at any time. —Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025

No vote was taken as after the discussion, no member of the board made a motion to approve the membership. —Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 June 2025

Good luck getting in, with membership applications closed since 2019. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 20 June 2025

The membership includes two blow outs a month for $75 and $5 off any additional blowouts, as well as 10% off retail products. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 20 June 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