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
The enduring moment of the game is probably the deep touchdown pass between Shough and Chris Olave — the one that saw Olave shrugging off cornerback Jaycee Horn and then scampering into the end zone, then jumping into a Panthers field-side fan section. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 9 Nov. 2025 With the exception of Checker, who was inducted through a video tribute from a live show, all artists had a dedicated performance section filled with the top musical artists of today and years past. Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
Instead of pulling out random strands, Hazan recommends starting at the front and working back toward your crown, sectioning out 10 quarter-inch-wide pieces a quarter of an inch apart. Maureen Choi, Glamour, 25 Sep. 2025 Make your experience section a collection of success stories that show exactly what becomes possible. Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for section
Recent Examples of Synonyms for section
Noun
  • While leading the community services district, Loewen also worked as a business development consultant and senior manager for DTA, according to a confidential investigative report issued in 2023 after residents complained about Loewen’s conduct.
    Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 12 Nov. 2025
  • The score keeps the district at roughly the same spot as the previous two years.
    Dmitry Martirosov, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a large portion of Iran's ballistic missile arsenal was destroyed during the first hours of the aerial attacks.
    MSNBC Newsweek, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • After battling two years of slowly deteriorating vision, Charton was able to claw back a small portion of her lost world.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Here, Kardashian’s hair was parted down the middle and braided over and over again in a bun down the back of her head.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Her hair was styled in bouncy waves, and parted on the side.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Union Square, which was to be my neighborhood for the next twenty-five years, was off limits after dark back then.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Mamdani’s plan to raise city income taxes by 2% on millionaires and shift property taxes toward the wealthiest, whitest, and most under-taxed neighborhoods could generate $4 billion a year to fund affordable housing.
    Fahad Zuberi, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Sony’s imaging and sensing solutions segment develops and manufactures advanced semiconductor products for a wide range of applications, from smartphones to automotive and industrial systems.
    Dylan Butts, CNBC, 11 Nov. 2025
  • In previous studies, botanists have cut the saguaros into segments to better understand their inner architecture, testing a cactus’s flexibility by adding weights to the different sections of the column.
    John Leos, AZCentral.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Yet, asked specifically about the fine hairs separating the top three undefeated teams in this first ranking, Mack Rhoades, the committee chair and athletic director at Baylor, sounded like a man torn between numbers and gut feelings.
    Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
  • For her part, BunnaB, beloved for her infectious, near-constant laughs, has separated herself from this ascendant pack by infusing her bubbly disposition, girl’s girl attitude, unfettered authenticity — and the unmistakable gravity of earning a second shot.
    Kyle Denis, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Significant diplomatic and military visits followed, as well as Chinese support for Bangladesh’s involvement in naval exercises with Pakistan (a longtime Indian rival), Chinese defense technology transfers, and Chinese investment in infrastructure and economic zones.
    MUHIB RAHMAN, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2025
  • Any slip below those zones could reignite selling pressure.
    Sidhartha Shukla, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Stars form when massive clouds of frigid molecular gas begin to fragment and collapse, producing dense cores where stars begin to coalesce.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 7 Nov. 2025
  • If empowered to retain the data that shows who is engaging with them as a song, an event or a community, artists could unify what is now fragmented across multiple sources.
    Geoff Robins, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Section.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/section. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.

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