membership

noun

mem·​ber·​ship ˈmem-bər-ˌship 

plural memberships

1

: the state or status of being a member

2

: the body of members

an organization with a large membership

3

mathematics : the relation between an element of a set (see set entry 2 sense 21) or class and the set or class itself compare inclusion sense 3a

Examples of membership in a Sentence

What is the cost of a one-year membership?

Membership in the club doubled last year.

clubs that are hoping to increase their membership

The club has a large membership.

clubs that are hoping to increase their memberships

Recent Examples on the Web

Letterboxd says its membership has climbed past 30 million worldwide, a scale that’s turning what was once a niche logging app into a viable alternative to shopping a film on the traditional festival circuit. — Joshua Encinias, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026

Zuckerberg paid $170 million for an unfinished estate on the island after the property’s previous owner, celebrity plastic surgeon Aaron Rollins, reportedly spent years trying unsuccessfully to obtain club membership. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Eligibility would require some form of IWTO membership, though the organization has not yet published the essential criteria, participating schemes or oversight process. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026

Founding annual memberships start at $140 which includes admission for two people. — Marla Jo Fisher, Daily News, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for membership

• authorship
• battleship
• censorship
• chairmanship
• chieftainship
• comradeship
• consulship
• craftsmanship
• dealership
• draftsmanship
• fellowship
• fingertip

Kids Definition

membership

noun

mem·​ber·​ship ˈmem-bər-ˌship 

1

: the state or status of being a member

2

: all the members of an organization