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

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 final section of the exhibit explores the evolution of Korean beauty into contemporary K-beauty, now a worldwide phenomenon and a visual culture. Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 Mar. 2026 Every year, to earn a student section ticket to Duke’s rivalry home game against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, students camp outside Cameron Indoor Stadium for weeks in the dead of winter. Storey Wertheimer, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
Snowpiercer Survivors of Earth's second ice age live out their days on a luxury train that's sectioned by class. Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 30 Dec. 2025 Chef Asanuma quickly dispatches the snow crab, deftly sectioning the legs and body with a few soft, swift crunches of a long blade. Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 17 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for section
Recent Examples of Synonyms for section
Noun
  • Croke has served in the Illinois House since 2021, representing a district covering parts of Chicago’s North and Near North sides.
    Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
  • The district includes the Far Northwest Side of Chicago near O'Hare Airport, and several western and northwestern suburbs, including parts of Carol Stream, Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Elgin, and Geneva.
    Todd Feurer, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The pool portion of the project would have an eight-lane, 25-yard lap pool, a warm water therapy pool and an activity pool with a water slide, play features and additional lap lanes.
    Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Order the prosciutto cotto eggs Benedict (the English muffin recipe handed down from Petty’s mom) and the cast-iron corn pancake served with a generous portion of butter and berry preserves.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Since parting, Shabaka has performed mononymously as a solo flautist and Skinner joined members of Radiohead to form the offshoot band the Smile.
    Hilton Als, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Gomez parted her hair in the center and pulled the lengths up, twisted them, and clipped her hair with a medium-sized sheer white claw clip and wrapping some of the lengths over the top of the clip.
    Kara Nesvig, Allure, 20 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The neighborhood/area The Kruununhaka district was once the ‘crown’s paddocks’, although as the city has grown, it’s been absorbed into the downtown area.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
  • The Israeli army has issued evacuation orders for many neighborhoods in Beirut as well as southern Lebanon.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The belief is that intense, focused segments help ingrain the principles the Gators live by on the court.
    Noah White, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
  • Last summer, as thousands of Border Patrol agents descended on Los Angeles, McGraw was there with a camera crew to the surprise of those who knew him mostly for his daytime-TV therapeutic segments.
    Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Reclaiming cooking requires separating the act from the obligation.
    Michelle Beadle Holder, SELF, 16 Mar. 2026
  • This project — which sought $19 million to build a bike and pedestrian path separated from traffic — is still unfunded.
    Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Your chatter zone lights up as the life-giving Sun conjoins nebulous Neptune, blending insight with curiosity for thoughtful conversations and local plans.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
  • When my sister and I left the building, the morgue techs were still parked in the yellow loading zone between Target and Tower Cleaners—our dad’s dry-cleaning place—and just closing the tailgate of the hearse.
    Amanda Peet, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In its first season on Sky One, A League of Their Own got up to 600,000 viewers, in a sign of how audiences have fragmented over the years.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 22 Mar. 2026
  • Zillow has argued that the approach fragments listing information and reduces transparency for buyers.
    Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 18 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Section.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/section. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.

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