Definition of sectionnext
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
Today, roughly 65 percent of works on display in its four chronological sections are from the museum’s trove. — News Desk, Artforum, 7 Oct. 2026 Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Sandeep Kumar Paul, the film is in the festival’s A Window on Asian Cinema section. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
The process began with detangling, drying, and sectioning each model’s hair before additional wefts from True Hair Company were installed to enhance length and fullness. — Corein Carter, Forbes.com, 23 Feb. 2026 How to do miracle knots Start by sectioning out clean, even parts and braiding them into single plaits. — Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 12 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for section
Recent Examples of Synonyms for section
Noun
  • Khan, whose estate has not become an AI hub in the way that London’s King’s Cross district has, says there’s no sign yet that AI will empty Canary Wharf of its white-collar workers.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Acton holds a narrow edge over Republican firebrand Vivek Ramaswamy, while Kaptur is contending with a tough reelection battle after Ohio Republicans redrew the boundaries of the longtime congresswoman’s district to pull in more GOP voters.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • High wind warnings cover portions of the southern Appalachians.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The group acquired Origin for just over $40 million, plus a portion of future royalties, and became the basin’s top player.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But then, in a moment Bekoff described as straight out of a movie, the clouds parted right as the bridal party headed outside.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Makeup was kept light and fresh, topped off with a nude lip, while her hair was parted down the middle, styled in face-framing waves.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 4 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In the third episode, Simon’s family hosts a birthday cookout in his childhood home, in the predominately Hispanic neighborhood of Pacoima, Los Angeles.
    — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Plus, these neighborhoods should ultimately understand the bigger picture, which is that lots more housing is needed, everywhere.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Democrats lost the 2024 elections in part because of their eroding support among Latino voters, a constituency that was once a reliable segment of their base.
    — Claudia Grisales, NPR, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Such was their shtick throughout their segment of New York Comic-Con’s Star Trek panel, which teased season two of Starfleet Academy before making time for Shatner to thoughtfully look back on the franchise that has defined his career.
    — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The mediator does an intense workout taking the offers and counteroffers between the parties, up and down an elegant staircase that separates the teams.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This allows the researchers to produce hydrogen and epoxide without a membrane separating the electrodes.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The zone represents the biggest value pool in the EUKEM region.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The footpad cannot extract energy from chemically inert surfaces such as plastic, glass, soil, or organic tissue, prompting the team to add a small onboard supercapacitor to buffer power across dead zones.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • As organizations from Seattle to Berlin increasingly deploy open-weight and open-source models for cost and compliance reasons, the risk of fragmenting the ecosystem along regional or ideological lines grows.
    — Kevin Korte, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Over time, these rocks are fragmented and broken up into small mineral particles by plant roots forcing open cracks, or lichens secreting chemicals that dissolve rocks to release nutrients.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Section.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/section. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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