section

noun

sec·tion | \ ˈsek-shən

Definition of section

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the action or an instance of cutting or separating by cutting

b : a part set off by or as if by cutting

2 : a distinct part or portion of something written (such as a chapter, law, or newspaper)

3a : the profile of something as it would appear if cut through by an intersecting plane

b : the plane figure resulting from the cutting of a solid by a plane

4 : a natural subdivision of a taxonomic group

5 : a character § used as a mark for the beginning of a section and as a reference mark

6 : a piece of land one square mile in area forming especially one of the 36 subdivisions of a township

7 : a distinct part of a territorial or political area, community, or group of people the historic section of the city

8a : a part that may be, is, or is viewed as separated a board cut into sections the northern section of the route

b : one segment of a fruit : carpel

9 : a basic military unit usually having a special function

10 : a very thin slice (as of tissue) suitable for microscopic examination

11a : one of the classes formed by dividing the students taking a course

b : one of the discussion groups into which a conference or organization is divided

12a : a part of a permanent railroad way under the care of a particular crew

b : one of two or more vehicles or trains which run on the same schedule

13 : one of several component parts that may be assembled or reassembled a bookcase in sections

14 : a division of an orchestra composed of one class of instruments the string section

15 : signature sense 3b

section

verb

sectioned; sectioning\ ˈsek-sh(ə-)niŋ

Definition of section (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to cut or separate into sections section an orange

2 : to represent in sections

intransitive verb

: to become cut or separated into parts

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about section

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Choose the Right Synonym for section

Noun

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 section in a Sentence

Noun

the upper section of the bridge This section of the road is closed. the frozen food section in the supermarket the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn Do you want to sit in the nonsmoking section? The dictionary includes a section on signs and symbols. Section 1123 of the bankruptcy code. ads that target one section of the population The siding comes in five-foot sections.

Verb

Peel and section the orange. Section the chicken and marinate the parts. She was sectioned by the judge.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Nevertheless, his photo now appears in a criminal justice textbook in the section defining rape. — Lauren Holter, refinery29.com, "Brock Turner's Photo Appears In A Law Textbook Defining Rape," 5 June 2019 That potential danger exists for anyone in those sections. — Neil Greenberg, courant.com, "MLB’s netting dilemma: With current standards, danger is just a second away," 5 June 2019 And more cameras are being added to dumping hot spots, often located in the poorest sections of the city. — Frank Kummer, https://www.inquirer.com, "Video: Illegal dumpers shove construction debris, trash right onto Philly roadways, sidewalks," 5 June 2019 The soup maker was trying at the time to expand into faster-growing sections of the grocery store. — Cara Lombardo, WSJ, "Campbell Plans to Sell Fresh Unit to Former Executive," 11 Apr. 2019 Most Read Sports Stories Qualifying is split into three sections, with five drivers eliminated from Q1 and Q2 to leave 10 fighting for pole in Q3. — Jerome Pugmire, The Seattle Times, "Royal approval: Leclerc’s F1 pole praised by Prince Albert," 30 Mar. 2019 While this section of the Flag Code is rarely observed, the guidelines advise against using the flag on clothing, costumes, athletic uniforms, bedding, cushions, handkerchiefs, other décor, and temporary-use items like paper napkins and boxes. — Rebecca Deczynski, Good Housekeeping, "The Proper Etiquette for Flying the American Flag, Including on Memorial Day," 10 May 2019 In fact, the house was once half of a larger home, divided by bulldozing a central section in the aftermath of the Great Depression, a move that was common in Palm Beach at the time. — Nancy Hass, ELLE Decor, "A Legendary 1920s Palm Beach House is a Showcase for a Striking Art Collection," 17 Apr. 2019 The men also took advantage of the sunny weather and the fact that Hartland Abbey has its own private section of coastline, and spent the afternoon surfing at Speke Mill, a spot located a couple of miles to the south. — Amanda Mitchell, Marie Claire, "Everything You Forgot Happened at Prince William's Bachelor Party," 27 Jan. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

For the cover, Gigi's hair is sectioned off, with some pieces teased into a large updo, and others left to frame her face. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Gigi Hadid Appears on the September "Vogue Brazil" Cover," 29 Aug. 2018 But climate change is a borderless issue, one that cannot be compartmentalized by lines drawn to distinguish state boundaries and section off land parcels for lease sales. — Maia Wikler, Teen Vogue, "Activists Protest Bureau of Land Management Leasing That Allow Oil and Gas Drilling on Public Lands," 15 Apr. 2019 Juarez is right there, visible from nearly anywhere in El Paso, including O’Rourke’s street: Concrete canals section off a Rio Grande that is usually little more than a brown puddle. — Will Weissert, The Seattle Times, "The Origin Story: A blind date, a border and Beto O’Rourke," 29 Mar. 2019 For Mary Katrantzou’s Fall 2019 collection at London Fashion Week yesterday, the designer sectioned her rainbow-bright lineup into four distinct themes, all centred around nature: earth, air, fire, and water. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "Mary Katrantzou Makes the Case for Spunky Clip-In Streaks," 17 Feb. 2019 The startup manufactures big steel pods sectioned into 43-square-foot bedrooms. — Brittany Meiling, The Seattle Times, "Would you rent a bed by the hour? ‘Napping pod’ startup targets exhausted workers, students," 12 Dec. 2018 Photos posted to Instagram by the student paper The Purdue Exponent show a large room without windows, with desks, beds, and dressers sectioned off by furniture. — Suzannah Weiss, Teen Vogue, "Purdue University Temporary Housing Under Scrutiny After Photos Go Viral," 30 Aug. 2018 This human riffed on a manhattan and named it a confused human, a dry and malty brew: Jack Daniel’s, Cinzano sweet vermouth, lemonade, cherry syrup and a lemon slice immaculately sectioned by the robot. — WSJ, "Robot Restaurants: The Good Versus the Gimmicks," 3 Oct. 2018 However, instead of just one big ponytail sectioned off into puffs with rubber bands, he's divided his hair into several smaller ones, complete with green, red, and yellow elastics. — Sharine Taylor, Allure, "For These Dancehall Artists, Hair Is Just as Important as the Music," 27 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'section.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near section

Statistics for section

Last Updated

9 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for section

The first known use of section was in 1534

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More Definitions for section

section

noun

English Language Learners Definition of section

(Entry 1 of 2)

: one of the parts that form something

: a particular area that is part of a larger place

: a part of a newspaper, play, book, etc.

section

verb

English Language Learners Definition of section (Entry 2 of 2)

: to divide (something) into parts

British : to officially send (a mentally ill person) to a psychiatric hospital

See the full definition for section in the English Language Learners Dictionary

section

noun

sec·tion | \ ˈsek-shən

Kids Definition of section

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a division of a thing or place A section of the fence broke.

2 : a part cut off or separated a section of an orange

3 : a part of a written work the sports section of a newspaper

4 : cross section sense 1

section

verb

sectioned; sectioning

Kids Definition of section (Entry 2 of 2)

: to cut into parts

section

noun

sec·tion | \ ˈsek-shən

Medical Definition of section

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the action or an instance of cutting or separating by cutting especially : the action of dividing (as tissues) surgically nerve section abdominal section — see cesarean section

2 : a natural subdivision of a taxonomic group

3 : a very thin slice (as of tissue) suitable for microscopic examination