section
section — verb
1. In the UK, to order someone with a severe mental illness to stay in hospital for
In the UK, to order someone with a severe mental illness to stay in hospital for treatment, often against their will, because they are considered a danger to themselves or to other people.
Dr. Okafor decided to section the patient after he threatened to jump from a bridge.
section + person in mental health context
The psychiatrist explained why she had to section the young woman for her own safety.
Under the Mental Health Act, two doctors must agree before they can section anyone.
passive: be sectioned under the Mental Health Act
The Chen family felt relieved when the hospital agreed to section their son for treatment.
A magistrate reviewed the case and decided to section the man for six weeks.
- section a patient
- be sectioned
- section someone under the Act
- section someone for treatment
- detain
broader legal term, not specific to mental health
- hospitalise
UK term that can include voluntary admission; less specific
- commit
American English equivalent for involuntary psychiatric admission
Grammar Patterns
section + person
be sectioned
Usage Note
This sense is specific to UK law under the Mental Health Act 1983. In other legal systems, the equivalent concept is called 'involuntary commitment' or 'civil commitment.' Frequently used in the passive voice (be sectioned).
Common Mistakes
2. To cut or split something into separate parts, pieces, or sections — for example
To cut or split something into separate parts, pieces, or sections — for example, dividing a piece of land into building plots, or cutting a fruit into segments.
The baker sectioned the long dough into twelve equal pieces for rolls.
section + into + parts for food preparation
Ayana sectioned the orange carefully so each child got the same amount.
The contractor sectioned the large plot of land into four building lots.
Joshua sectioned the plant stem to examine its internal structure under a microscope.
The biologist sectioned the tissue sample into thin pieces for the lab analysis.
technical use: sectioning tissue for scientific analysis
- section land
- section the dough
- section an orange
- section tissue
- section a sample
- section the stem
Grammar Patterns
section + object
section + object + into + parts
Usage Note
Common in technical contexts such as biology (sectioning tissue for microscopy), cooking (sectioning fruit), and land development (sectioning property). In everyday speech, 'divide' or 'cut up' is more natural for most situations.
Common Mistakes
section — noun
1. one of the pieces or parts that something has been divided into, such as a part
one of the pieces or parts that something has been divided into, such as a part of a book, a city, an organization, or a building.
The children's section of the library has colorful books and small chairs.
section + of + [place] for a divided area within a larger place
Nora highlighted every section of the textbook that the teacher mentioned in class.
section + of + [document] for a part of a written work
The old section of town has narrow streets and traditional wooden houses.
Each section of the report was checked by a different manager before the meeting.
Darius walked through the financial section of the city on his way to work.
section + of + [city/area] for a district or neighbourhood
- first section
- main section
- separate section
- read a section
- divide into sections
- section of the city
- section of the book
- whole
the entire thing that sections make up
Grammar Patterns
section + of + noun phrase
Usage Note
This is the most common and general sense. The noun after 'of' identifies what kind of larger whole the section belongs to — a document, a place, an object, or a group.
Common Mistakes
2. a grouping of players within an orchestra or band who all use instruments from t
a grouping of players within an orchestra or band who all use instruments from the same family, such as the string family or the brass family.
The string section of the orchestra includes the violins, cellos, and double basses.
the + [instrument type] + section of the orchestra/band
Evelyn plays the flute in the woodwind section of her school band.
The rhythm section kept a steady beat while the lead guitarist played the solo.
rhythm section — a fixed compound referring to drums, bass, and guitar
Kian moved from the percussion section to the woodwind section this year.
- string section
- brass section
- woodwind section
- percussion section
- rhythm section
- brass section
- horn section
Grammar Patterns
the + [instrument type] + section
section + of + the + [orchestra/band]
Usage Note
Common compound forms include 'rhythm section' (drums, bass, guitar) and 'horn section'. In orchestras, the main sections are strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.
3. a cut that a doctor makes through skin and tissue during an operation so that th
a cut that a doctor makes through skin and tissue during an operation so that they can reach the area inside needing treatment.
Dr. Okafor made a small section in the patient's side to remove the kidney stone.
make a section in + [body part] for the surgical cut
After the section was closed with stitches, the wound healed within two weeks.
passive: section was closed with stitches
The nurse cleaned the area around the section and applied a fresh bandage.
Jenna asked the surgeon how long the section would take to heal completely.
- make a section
- close a section
- small section
- section in the abdomen
- section through the skin
Grammar Patterns
make + a + section + in/through + [body part]
close + a + section
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 4: this sense refers to the cut itself (the incision), not to the entire surgical procedure. The full medical term is 'incision'.
Common Mistakes
4. a surgical procedure where a doctor makes a cut through a woman's stomach and ut
a surgical procedure where a doctor makes a cut through a woman's stomach and uterus so that a baby can be born, rather than through a normal vaginal birth.
Yuna gave birth to her son by section after twelve hours of labor.
by + section — describing the method of delivery
Doctors recommended a section because the baby was lying in a difficult position.
After her first section, Dewi chose to try for a natural birth the second time.
Recovery from a section usually takes longer than recovery from a vaginal birth.
recovery from a section — contrasting with vaginal birth
- by section
- have a section
- emergency section
- planned section
- recovery from a section
- Cesarean section
the full formal term
- C-section
the common informal abbreviation
Grammar Patterns
by + section
have + a + section
section + is + necessary
Usage Note
In medical and hospital contexts, 'section' is a common short form of 'Cesarean section'. The full term 'Cesarean section' (or 'C-section') is more formal. This sense is entirely distinct from sense 3, which refers to the cut itself.
Common Mistakes
5. an extremely thin slice cut from animal or plant tissue or other material so tha
an extremely thin slice cut from animal or plant tissue or other material so that its internal structure can be studied under a microscope.
The technician placed a thin section of the leaf under the microscope for the class to view.
thin section of + [specimen] for microscope examination
Under the microscope, the section of lung tissue clearly showed the damaged cells.
Gabriel stained the section with a blue dye to make the cell walls visible.
stain a section — a common laboratory collocation
Each section of the tumor was carefully mounted on a separate glass slide.
- thin section
- tissue section
- brain section
- prepare a section
- stain a section
- mount a section
- section of the liver
Grammar Patterns
section + of + [tissue/organ]
prepare + a + section
stain + a + section
Usage Note
Only used in scientific or medical laboratory contexts. Common in phrases like 'thin section' and 'tissue section'. The specimen type usually precedes 'section' (e.g., 'brain section', 'liver section').
Common Mistakes
6. A drawing, diagram, or model of an object that has part of its outer surface cut
A drawing, diagram, or model of an object that has part of its outer surface cut away to show the internal structure — for instance, a museum cutaway of a beehive revealing the honeycomb chambers inside.
The textbook includes a section of the human heart showing where blood enters and leaves.
a section of + [object] for an educational diagram showing internal structure
A section of the volcano in the diagram reveals the lava chamber beneath the surface.
The museum display has a section of a beehive showing where the honey is stored.
Hiro studied the section of the engine to understand how the cooling system works.
study the section of + [mechanical object] for understanding internal parts
- cross-section
- section through
- section of the engine
- section of the building
- section diagram
- section view
- cross-section
more specific; implies the cut is perpendicular to the longest dimension
- cutaway view
emphasises that the outer surface has been removed for viewing
- diagram
any simplified drawing; 'section' specifies it shows internal structure
Grammar Patterns
section + of + [object]
a + section + shows/reveals
Usage Note
Frequently appears as 'cross-section' when the cut is shown at a right angle to the object's longest dimension. Common in textbooks, product manuals, and museum displays. The preposition 'through' is often used: 'a section through the wall'.
Common Mistakes
7. In geometry, the flat shape you get when an imaginary straight cut passes throug
In geometry, the flat shape you get when an imaginary straight cut passes through a solid object.
In the exam, Hana had to draw the cross-section of a cone cut by a horizontal plane.
section + of + noun (geometric context)
The cross-section of a sphere is always a circle, no matter which direction you cut it.
Imani learned that the cross-section of a cylinder cut at an angle forms an ellipse.
passive: cut + at + angle to describe the cutting plane
The teacher showed how each cross-section of the pyramid changes shape at different heights.
how-clause to describe changing properties
- cross-section of a sphere
- cross-section of a cone
- cross-section of a cylinder
- horizontal cross-section
- cross-section
the more common compound term; 'section' is often the abbreviated form in maths writing
- plane figure
more formal geometric term used in proofs and theorems
Grammar Patterns
section + of + noun
Usage Note
Usually refers to the geometric concept itself rather than the physical act of cutting. Frequently used in mathematics and engineering contexts.
8. An illustration technique in which the outer surface of an object is depicted as
An illustration technique in which the outer surface of an object is depicted as removed, revealing the inside — for example, a car manual's section view showing the pistons moving inside the engine block.
The car manual included a section view of the engine to show where the pistons move.
section view — noun-as-modifier pattern
In the science museum, a section model of the human heart showed blood flowing through each chamber.
section model — section as adjective before a noun
Nicholas studied a section drawing of the volcano to understand how lava rises inside it.
The architect prepared a section of the building so the client could see the interior layout.
prepared + section — common verb + section collocation in design
- section view
- section model
- section drawing
- section of the building
- cutaway view
more common in everyday technical English; emphasises the 'cut away' action
- sectional view
formal technical term used in engineering drawings
Grammar Patterns
section + of + noun
section + noun (as modifier)
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 6 (which refers to the drawing or model itself as an object): sense 8 focuses on the visual technique of revealing the inside. Commonly used in architecture manuals and technical illustrations.
9. A smaller group of students that is formed from a larger class for discussion, p
A smaller group of students that is formed from a larger class for discussion, practice, or focused teaching activities.
Professor Chen divided the lecture hall into three discussion sections of fifteen students each.
divided into + section — common verb + preposition pattern
Élise chose the morning section of the biology lab because it fit her work schedule better.
morning / afternoon + section — time-modifier pattern
Each teaching assistant leads two sections of the introductory economics course every week.
leads + section — common verb + section collocation
Romi met her study group in a small room on the third floor for the discussion section.
- discussion section
- morning section
- lab section
- section of the course
- lead a section
- discussion group
more transparent meaning; less common as a single-word label
- tutorial group
mostly British usage; implies more individual teaching attention
- lab section
specific to science courses with practical sessions
Grammar Patterns
section + of + noun
in + section + noun
Usage Note
Common in university settings where large lectures are supplemented with smaller weekly discussion groups led by teaching assistants.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- sectionaladjectiveB2
- subsectionnounB2
- cross-sectionnounB2
- sectornounB2
- sectioningnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All four words refer to a piece of a larger whole, but they differ in how the division happens. 'Part' is the most general and neutral term — any piece that together with other pieces makes up a whole ('a part of the problem,' 'the best part of the film'). 'Section' implies a more conscious or structural division into named or numbered units, such as a section of a book, a city, or a building; it often carries a sense of organised separation. 'Segment' suggests a natural or logical division, like the segments of an orange or a market segment, where the boundaries feel inherent rather than imposed. 'Portion' frequently refers to a share or allocated amount rather than a structural piece — a portion of food on a plate, a portion of the budget. In practice, 'a section of the report' suggests a clearly marked division (perhaps labelled), while 'a part of the report' is vaguer, and 'a portion of the report' would sound like a quantity rather than a distinct subsection.
Common collocations
Etymology
From Latin 'sectio' (a cutting or division), formed from the past participle stem of 'secare' (to cut). The word came into English through Old French 'section' in the 14th century, originally with the meaning of a cutting or separation. By the 17th century it had developed the sense of a part or division of a written work. The verb meaning 'to divide into sections' emerged from the noun in the 19th century. The specific British legal sense of detaining someone for mental health treatment arose in the 20th century as a shortening of 'section under the Mental Health Act,' referring to specific parts of the legislation that authorise compulsory admission.