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 fields will also be reduced, thanks to new membership reduction measures that take effect next January. —MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025

The Cleveland Cavaliers just opened an invite-only private members club, HIPP, that includes a five-figure annual membership fee for valet parking, a separate entrance, a luxury club and other amenities, but not tickets. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 21 Oct. 2025

Each ring purchase comes with a yearlong membership to the app. —Emily Burns, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025

In a matter of days, tens of thousands of videos have popped up under the hashtag #group7, with many users celebrating their membership. —Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 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