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

The unsupported credit card spending also included $27,000 on high-end restaurants, as well as $17,000 in golf club membership fees for at least six different clubs over a stretch of less than two years. —Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026

Full palettes of boxes have been shown in videos by customers, and reports indicate that only one shoe can be purchased per membership. —Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026

Those points add up to rewards, including savings on their life insurance premiums, discounts on fresh produce, free Amazon Prime memberships, hotel savings, and free or discounted wearables. —Brooks Tingle, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026

And for those looking to take the experience home, offers curated monthly bottles with flexible memberships and perks like priority access to events and bottle discounts. —Amber Love Bond, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

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