membership

membership — noun

1. The official standing gained when a person joins a club, society, or institution

1.nounB1
Definition

The official standing gained when a person joins a club, society, or institution, together with the rights and duties that go with it.

Example

Matthew applied for membership in the local cycling club last spring.

apply for membership in [organization]

The community centre offers free membership to residents over sixty.

offer free membership to [group]

Common collocations
  • apply for membership
  • renew membership
  • cancel membership
  • hold membership
  • lifetime membership
  • honorary membership
  • membership fee
  • membership card
Synonyms
  • affiliation

    More formal; often describes a connection to a larger body such as a political party or university.

  • enrollment

    Focuses on the act of signing up rather than the ongoing state of being a member.

  • participation

    Emphasizes taking an active part rather than simply belonging.

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

possessive + membership

membership + in/of + [organization]

apply for / renew / cancel + membership

Usage Note

Typically uncountable, but can be countable when referring to a specific arrangement — for example, "I hold two memberships — one at the gym and one at the library."

Common Mistakes

I applied for a member of the science club.
I applied for membership in the science club.
A member is a person; membership is the status of belonging.

2. All the individuals who together form a club, society, or institution, considere

2.nounB2
Definition

All the individuals who together form a club, society, or institution, considered as a single body, or the count of such individuals.

Example

The membership voted to change the club's logo at the annual meeting.

membership + singular verb (collective noun)

The charity's membership has grown to over two thousand people this year.

membership grows / increases

Common collocations
  • the entire membership
  • the whole membership
  • the active membership
  • membership has grown/declined
  • membership includes
  • membership stands at
  • overall membership
  • total membership
Synonyms
  • members

    The more straightforward plural form. Use when you want to emphasize each individual rather than the group as a whole.

  • roster

    Refers specifically to the list of members, not the people themselves.

  • constituency

    Used mainly for groups of voters or supporters in a political context.

Grammar Patterns

the + entire/whole + membership

membership + singular verb (votes, agrees, includes)

membership + of + [number/description]

Usage Note

Treats the group as a single unit and therefore takes a singular verb in standard English. To emphasize individual members, say "the members of the organization" instead.

Common Mistakes

The membership are divided on this issue.
The membership is divided on this issue.
Membership as a collective noun takes a singular verb.

Word family

  • member
    nounA2
  • memberless
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all four words describe a connection between a person and an organization, they emphasize different aspects. Membership is the broadest term — it means a person has been accepted and holds official status in a group, with whatever rights and duties that brings. Affiliation suggests a looser or more formal link, often between organizations rather than individuals (e.g., "the hospital's affiliation with the university"). Enrollment focuses on the act of signing up or registering, especially for courses or programs. Participation stresses taking an active role — you can be a member of a club but never participate in its events. In short: membership is the status, enrollment is the process of getting it, affiliation is the formal connection, and participation is the active involvement.

membership ↗affiliationenrollment ↗participation ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • open membership
  • closed membership
  • by membership only

Prepositions

  • in (membership in a club)
  • of (membership of an organization)

Etymology

LatinOld EnglishEnglish

The word membership is formed from member plus the suffix -ship, which indicates a state, condition, or quality. Member comes from Latin membrum, meaning 'a limb or part of the body' — the idea being that a member is a part of a larger body (the organization). The suffix -ship is from Old English -scipe, meaning 'shape, condition, or quality' (as in friendship, citizenship, ownership). First recorded uses of membership in English date from the mid-1600s.