section

1 of 2

noun

sec·​tion ˈsek-shən 

1

a

: 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)

3

a

: 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

8

a

: 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

11

a

: 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

12

a

: 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

2 of 2

verb

sectioned; sectioning ˈsek-sh(ə-)niŋ 

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

Noun

• district
• nabe
• neighborhood
• quarter

Choose the Right Synonym for section

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

This week, Amazon’s sale section is chock-full of discounts on spring blouses. —Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024

The Cannes Directors’ Fortnight section has unveiled its lineup for the 2024 festival, which will open with This Life of Mine, the final feature from the late French director Sophie Fillières. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2024

The heaviest section so far weighed about 450 tons (408 metric tons). —Lea Skene, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024

The film will have its world premiere next month at Cannes in the Directors Fortnight section. —Patrick Frater, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024

Kragh set a section record and won a state championship in the 100 butterfly (57.22) in 2021. —Glae Thien, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2024

For this section, Self Inc. ranked Arizona 16th for lifetime personal spending taxes. —The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024

At one point, a section of trusses toppled over with a pull from the backhoe. —Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024

David Nield is a freelance contributor at Popular Science, producing how to guides and explainers for the DIY section on everything from improving your smartphone photos to boosting the security of your laptop. —David Nield, Popular Science, 4 Apr. 2024

Verb

Your stylist will start the actual installation process by sectioning your hair — first by parting it into rows, then segmenting those rows into even smaller sections that are about the width of your tape-in extension pieces. —Tayler Adigun, Allure, 25 Mar. 2024

In this case, Hill recommends sectioning hair into quadrants and then plaiting or twisting the ends together. —Deanna Pai, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2024

Her salon is reminiscent of braiding stalls peppered throughout many West African countries, where remnants of hair extensions dust the floor like tumbleweeds as braiders shift back and forth from French to English while sectioning, twisting and dipping hair in boiling water to seal the ends. —Lateshia Beachum, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023

The suit states that on Aug. 20, Weekes-Rivera, 38, arrived to work with her hair arranged in Bantu knots, a style in which the hair is sectioned and twisted around its base to form a spiral. —Janelle Griffith, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2023

Simply section your hair and spray everywhere, from roots to lengths, before massaging it into your scalp. —Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 30 Oct. 2023

Her hair was sectioned and slicked into four pigtails. —Gabi Thorne, Allure, 11 Sep. 2023

After sectioning the hair with edge control, braiding hair was fed in. —Akili King, Essence, 13 Sep. 2023

Buy a ticket to a show or sporting event at Capitol One arena, then head inside, snaking your way to section 113/114. —Sarath Ganji, The New Republic, 2 Aug. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin section-, sectio, from secare to cut — more at saw

First Known Use

Noun

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1819, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing section

• brass section
• cesarean section
• section gang
• conic section
• cheering section
• golden section
• percussion section
• C-section
• cross section
• x-section
• the string section
• woodwind section
• smoking section
• section hand
• quarter section
• section off
• cesarian section
• caesarean section
• caesarian section

Kids Definition

section

1 of 2 noun

sec·​tion ˈsek-shən 

1

: a part cut off or separated

a section of an orange

2

: a part of a written work

the sports section of the newspaper

3

: the appearance that a thing has or would have if cut straight through

a drawing of a ship in section

4

: a part of an area, community, or group of people

the business section of town

5

: one of several parts (as of a bookcase) that may be assembled or reassembled

6

: a part of an orchestra composed of one class of instruments

the brass section

section

2 of 2 verb

sectioned; sectioning -sh(ə-)niŋ 

1

: to cut or separate into or become cut or separated into parts or sections

2

: to represent in sections (as by a drawing)

Etymology

Noun

from Latin section-, sectio "section, the act of cutting," from secare "to cut" — related to dissect, insect

Medical Definition

section

1 of 2 noun

sec·​tion ˈsek-shən 

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

section

2 of 2 transitive verb

sectioned; sectioning -sh(ə-)niŋ 

1

: to divide (a body part or organ) surgically

section a nerve

2

: to cut (fixed tissue) into thin slices for microscopic examination