membership English · revision 5022

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1643|origins=en member, en -ship}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|en|member|-ship]].^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The state or status of being a member of a society or body: 1643 in MWU and the Historical Thesaurus, 1647 in the OED, the 1640s in Etymonline.^(MWU 2024)^(HTOED)^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The number of members of a body is from 1850,^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) and the members of a society collectively is from 1926 in the OED, 1844 in the Historical Thesaurus.^(OED 1989)^(HTOED)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1643 – the state of being a member.^(MWU 2024)

+ * 1850 – the number of members.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1926 – the members collectively.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The state of being a [[member]] of a group or organization.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # All the members of a group, or their number.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(mathematics)'' The relation of an element to the set it belongs to.^(MW Collegiate)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[member]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}