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

Randau embarked on his own research, consulting archives in Germany, and history experts, to eventually uncover the physiotherapist’s SS membership card and other damning evidence. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026

English and Swahili are widely used in worship, alongside numerous indigenous languages, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the church’s membership. — Stephanie Triplettall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026

The spokesperson didn’t respond to questions about the council’s membership or the timing of its formation. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026

Strauss also weighs in on the vision for building out the Peacock platform as a form of membership system that can bring consumers deeper into everything NBCU has to offer, from theme parks to partnership perks with big NBCU ad clients. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 7 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