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

Since the club’s inception, its membership has grown to more than 100 members. —Emma Hall july 5, Sacbee.com, 5 July 2025

Reece in the meeting did not agree to trade board memberships with Dumas. —Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 4 July 2025

The changes come about a year after the warehouse chain hiked prices of its annual memberships for the first time in seven years. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 3 July 2025

Costco now offers Executive members early store access and a monthly Instacart credit, aiming to justify a recent membership price hike. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2025

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