Meaning & use
membership base
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Meaning
nouncountable
The total group of people who are members of an organization, especially when considered as a group that supports or funds it.
Grammar: Usually used with a singular or plural verb depending on whether you think of the group as one unit or as individuals.
Patterns
- a large membership base
- build a membership base
- the membership base of something
The club has a membership base of over five thousand people.
The political party is trying to widen its membership base among young voters.
A strong membership base is essential for the union's bargaining power.
Word forms
| plural | membership bases |
|---|
Common combinations
- broaden the membership base
- The association hopes to broaden its membership base by offering online courses.
- a loyal membership base
- The magazine has a loyal membership base that renews every year.
- shrink the membership base
- Rising fees could shrink the membership base.
- expand the membership base
- They plan to expand the membership base into new regions.
Synonyms and how they differ
- membership
- Can mean the same group, but often refers to the state of being a member or the number of members rather than the group as a support base.
- constituency
- More formal and often used in politics; it can mean a similar group of supporters, but it also has other meanings.
Word family
- member noun
- A person who belongs to a group or organization.
- membership noun
- The fact of being a member, or the members as a group.
Practice
The charity hopes to ______ its membership base by reaching out to younger donors.
Choose one answer.
The verb 'broaden' fits because it means to make something wider or larger. 'Broad' is an adjective, 'broadly' is an adverb, and 'broadness' is a noun, so none can be used as the main verb here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “membership base”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.