Member Definition, Usage, and Examples

Meaning 1：group member (member)

member 🔊

/ˈmembər/

A person who belongs to a group, club, team, or organization.

group member 🔊

➕

/ɡruːp ˈmembər/

A person who belongs to a particular group, club, team, or organization.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Latin 'membrum' (limb, part) → Old French 'membre' → Modern English 'member'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of your arms and legs as 'members' of your body; everyone in a club is a 'member' part of the whole.

📖 Example

As a member of the local book club, she attends the weekly discussions regularly. 🔊 As a member of the local book club, she attends the weekly discussions regularly.

🔗 Collocations

a member of the team – someone who is part of a sports or work team

become a member – to officially join an organization or club

full member – a member with all rights and privileges, not limited or temporary

🔄 Synonyms

affiliate (n.) – a person or organization officially attached to a larger body

participant (n.) – a person who takes part or becomes involved in an activity

associate (n.) – a person joined with others in a common purpose or activity

🚫 Antonyms

nonmember (n.) – a person who does not belong to a particular group

outsider (n.) – a person who is not accepted into or does not belong to a community

excluded (adj.) – not allowed to be part of a group or activity

🌱 Derivatives

membership (n.) – the state of being a member of an organization

membered (adj.) – having or consisting of members (e.g., a three-membered ring in chemistry)

dismember (v.) – to cut off or separate the limbs or parts from a body (figuratively break up an organization)

📖 Cultural Story

From Latin 'membrum' meaning a limb or part of a body. In Church Latin it referred to a part of a community, evolving to modern usage for any person belonging to a group.