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

German political scientist Jürgen Falter has devoted much of his career to studying Nazi membership records and has written extensively on the rise of Adolf Hitler and his party. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 28 June 2026

Graham said Whipple’s criticism of the union’s endorsement process would likely upset the organization’s large membership of teachers. — Chance Swaim, Kansas City Star, 28 June 2026

The amount of money each customer receives from the settlement is based on the total amount of Amazon Prime membership fees paid throughout the duration of their subscription. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 27 June 2026

Skratch also interviewed other sources for its story who alleged infidelity by Mickelson amid abrupt endings of memberships at other golf clubs. — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 27 June 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