section 1 of 2

1
as in district
an area (as of a city) set apart for some purpose or having some special feature several abandoned warehouses in the city's industrial section are being converted into art galleries and artists' lofts

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in portion
one of the pieces from which something is designed to be assembled had trouble fitting the sections of the bookcase together

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

section

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word section distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of section are division, fragment, member, part, piece, portion, and segment. While all these words mean "something less than the whole," section applies to a relatively small or uniform part.

the entertainment section of the newspaper

In what contexts can division take the place of section?

Although the words division and section have much in common, division applies to a large or diversified part.

the manufacturing division of the company

When is it sensible to use fragment instead of section?

The words fragment and section are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off.

only a fragment of the play still exists

When is member a more appropriate choice than section?

While in some cases nearly identical to section, member suggests one of the functional units composing a body.

a structural member

When can part be used instead of section?

The synonyms part and section are sometimes interchangeable, but part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required.

they ran only part of the way

When would piece be a good substitute for section?

The words piece and section can be used in similar contexts, but piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole.

a puzzle with 500 pieces

When could portion be used to replace section?

While the synonyms portion and section are close in meaning, portion implies an assigned or allotted part.

cut the pie into six portions

When might segment be a better fit than section?

In some situations, the words segment and section are roughly equivalent. However, segment applies to a part separated or marked out by or as if by natural lines of cleavage.

the retired segment of the population

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of section
Noun
Three sections of the roof at Seabrook Brothers & Sons caved in around 1:30 p.m., NJ.com reported. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025 And the local Christian radio station, for some reason, set up an interview section in the lobby afterwards and asked people about the concert. Chris Willman, Variety, 14 June 2025
Verb
Towel dry, then section your hair into six equal parts for even application. Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 18 Apr. 2025 McKnight used his Modern Hairspray on Ronan, sectioning the hair before spraying. Morgan Fargo, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for section
Recent Examples of Synonyms for section
Noun
  • But the district’s workers also face financial pressures.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2025
  • Plans also have called for re relocating the district’s headquarters from New Haven to Hartford.
    Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • That involves both the Medicaid portion of the bill as well as the state and local tax deduction, which remain in flux.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 25 June 2025
  • This year brought two new adverse factors — President Donald Trump’s tariffs that could generate retaliatory tariffs, depressing export markets, and Trump’s sweeps of undocumented immigrants, who are a major portion of the agricultural labor force.
    Dan Walters, Mercury News, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Part two is almost contradictory to part one’s idea.
    Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2025
  • Lily-Rose Depp Lily-Rose Depp added a touch of attitude to her overall look at the 97th annual Oscars, parting her hair on the right side of her face.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • Viewers will be taken on a journey through hip hop history – meeting genre pioneers and future icons, visiting the neighborhoods, studios and places that fostered early styles as well as watching beloved artists analyze their favorite tracks, according to the description.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 27 June 2025
  • Traditional alarm systems and exclusive neighborhoods no longer feel sufficient.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • San Diego oversees about 200 segments of flood channels, including those along Chollas Creek that overflowed, according to a 2023 report.
    Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2025
  • Campbell noted a recent Today show segment where The White Lotus’s Leslie Bibb was serving as guest co-host alongside Jenna Bush Hager.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 June 2025
Verb
  • In a game where the Angels and Nationals combined for 24 runs and 30 hits — with the 19 hits and 15 runs given up by the Angels’ pitching staff representing season-worst marks — what ultimately separated the teams was the Angels’ inability to come through with runners on base.
    Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
  • Jun-ho shoots the glass separating the VIPs’ watch tower from the game arena, getting In-ho’s attention.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • With the bases loaded and two outs, Garrett reached a 2-2 count against Ozuna, who had just fouled off a splitter at the bottom of the zone.
    Tim Britton, New York Times, 18 June 2025
  • In fact, that’s what the new book, The Download, is about—how to access intuition and the genius zone and rewire your brain for miracles.
    Sara Connell, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • If your cloud infrastructure is fragmented, your teams are disjointed or your workflows are patchwork-based, AI will only amplify the dysfunction that exists.
    Hrushikesh Deshmukh, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • The canons dismantled during the Theory incursion of the 1970s and ’80s introduced a more inclusive world of letters, even as the upheaval left English departments fragmented.
    Eric Bulson, The Atlantic, 16 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Section.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/section. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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