membership

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountable

   The state of belonging to a club, group or organization, often by paying a fee.

   Grammar: Uncountable for the status, countable for a particular plan: a gym membership.

   Patterns

   • membership of something
   • membership in something
   • apply for membership

   Membership of the library is free for residents.

   She renewed her gym membership in January.

   Annual membership gives you access to all the exhibitions.

2. 2nounsingular

   All the people who belong to a group, or the number of them.

   Grammar: Takes a singular verb in American English: the membership has voted. In British English a plural verb is also possible.

   Patterns

   • the membership of something

   The union's membership voted to accept the offer.

   Membership has doubled since the club opened.

Word forms

Common combinations

annual membership

Annual membership costs less than paying monthly.

renew a membership

Remember to renew your membership before it expires.

cancel your membership

He cancelled his membership after moving abroad.

free membership

Free membership includes a monthly newsletter.

membership fee

The membership fee covers use of the pool.

Synonyms and how they differ

subscription

Subscription stresses regular payment for a service, while membership stresses belonging to a group.

enrollment

Enrollment suggests formally signing up, often for a course or school, whereas membership continues over time.

affiliation

Affiliation is more formal and suggests a link to an organization rather than full belonging.

Opposites

Word family

member noun

a person who belongs to a group

non-member noun

a person who does not belong

co-membership noun

shared membership of two groups

Commonly confused: membership or members?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “membership”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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