section 1 of 2

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
Courtesy of the City of Orlando The area will be located behind a curved wall, screened from the main section. R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026 Lupo gave his guests a tour of his company’s two-story brick warehouse on an industrial section of Grand Street. Anne Kadet, Curbed, 12 June 2026
Verb
Bailey is one of only eight O.C. football coaches to lead multiple schools to section titles. Dan Albano, Oc Register, 25 Feb. 2026 So, where does section 179 fit into all of this? Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for section
Recent Examples of Synonyms for section
Noun
  • The state’s budgeting rules don’t allow the district to include unconfirmed future revenues.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
  • Mohammed Fahess, a supermarket owner in the Jibchit district of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, told Reuters his business had been hit for a second time after suffering damage in the 2024-2025 bout of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
    Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
Noun
  • Brazil started off the Group Stage portion of the tournament with a 1-1 tie in New Jersey at MetLife Stadium.
    Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026
  • As a result, many people clean only the visible portions of the surface.
    Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • Aguilera wore her platinum blond hair parted to the side and worn in soft curls and kept her makeup bright with sparkly eye shadows.
    Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 9 Dec. 2025
  • Hold each section of tinsel by the top strip, and part it down the middle.
    Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Pasjoli is his more casual French neighborhood bistro.
    Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2026
  • Chattanooga has come a long way since the neighborhood games McClure remembers.
    ABC News, ABC News, 15 June 2026
Noun
  • Ryzhikov and Zubritsky also conducted two spacewalks to install scientific experiments and relocate a controller for the European Robotic Arm on the exterior of the Russian segment of the station.
    Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 9 Dec. 2025
  • Then, just as Fallon was about to continue the segment with a heartwarming story about watching Stranger Things with his daughter, Brown sweetly interrupted him to present him with a significant gift of his own.
    Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • Dutch find separating goal to regain control With Japan in full control of momentum after the quick answer, the Netherlands parlayed a swing of possession into a winner in the 64th minute.
    Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 June 2026
  • Buddha offers an egalitarian path to enlightenment; Confucius codifies a religion of learning; Augustine infuses Christianity with Plato and Aristotle; Martin Luther shifts spirituality inward; Duns Scotus separates belief from knowledge; William of Ockham cultivates equality under the law.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Noun
  • With both teams evenly matched in record, tonight’s game looks likely to come down to execution in critical moments, especially turnovers and red-zone chances.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
  • Japan is no stranger to severe seismic activity; the country sits along the Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most active earthquake and volcanic zones.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 9 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • When a super agent fails, responsibility fragments across retrieval, reasoning, tooling and policy.
    Praveen Satyanarayana, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
  • During the shooting, a bullet struck Ferren’s patrol car and fragmented before striking him in the neck, police spokesperson Officer Brad Perez said.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Section.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/section. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.

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