Meaning & use
member base
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Meanings
nouncountable
All the people who are registered members of an organization, club, or service at a particular time.
Grammar: Countable and usually singular with 'the' or a size adjective: the member base, a large member base.
Patterns
- the member base of something
- a large/growing/loyal member base
- expand/build the member base
The gym has been trying to grow its member base by offering free classes.
A loyal member base is more valuable than a huge one that keeps changing.
Since the app went free, the company's member base has doubled.
nouncountablespecialist
The group of countries, states, or groups that belong to a larger official body.
Grammar: Used with 'of' to name the organization: the member base of the alliance.
Patterns
- the member base of an organization
- a broad member base
The union's member base includes workers from twelve different industries.
Reform is difficult when the member base is so divided.
Word forms
| plural | member bases |
|---|
Common combinations
- grow the member base
- They hired a marketing team to grow the member base.
- a loyal member base
- The magazine survives on a small but loyal member base.
- expand the member base
- The club hopes to expand its member base beyond the city.
- the member base of
- The member base of the association is mostly small businesses.
- a broad member base
- A broad member base makes the organization more stable.
Synonyms and how they differ
- membership
- More common and can also mean the state of being a member; 'member base' focuses on the group as a countable asset.
- members
- The plain everyday word; 'member base' sounds more like business or marketing language.
Word family
- member noun
- A single person who belongs to a group.
- membership noun
- The fact of being a member, or the whole group of members.
Commonly confused: member base or membership base?
member base vs membership base
Also used, but 'member base' is the more common fixed phrase in business writing.
Practice
The streaming service wants to ______ its member base in Asia.
Choose one answer.
'Wants to' is followed by the base form of the verb, so 'expand' is correct. 'Expands' is a present-tense form and cannot follow 'to'; 'expanding' would need a different structure like 'wants expanding' (not standard); 'expansion' is a noun and cannot take the object 'its member base'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “member base”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.