# member

/ˈmɛmbɝ/ (US) · /mˈɛmbɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/member
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. person in a group

noun · CEFR A1

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

For teachers: an individual who belongs to a specific group, society, or organization.

- She has been a member of the local tennis club for three years.
- The committee voted to grant honorary status to any member who had served the organization for more than twenty-five years.

### 2. part of a whole

noun · CEFR B2

a part of a larger structure or object.

For teachers: a constituent part of a complex structure or a distinct part of a whole.

- The bridge collapsed because one of the steel members was weak.
- The architect examined each structural member of the roof to ensure the weight was distributed evenly across the load-bearing walls.

### 3. math/logic element

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

an item that belongs to a set in mathematics.

For teachers: an element or individual entity that belongs to a mathematical set or a logical group.

- The number five is a member of the set of odd numbers.
- In this proof, we must demonstrate that every member of the first set is also contained within the second set.

### 4. computing

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a piece of data or a function that belongs to a specific class in programming.

For teachers: a variable or function that is part of a class or object in object-oriented programming.

- The programmer added a new member to the class to store the user's age.
- Accessing a private member from outside the class definition will result in a compilation error in most strictly typed languages.

### 5. body part

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary · Formal

a part of the body, especially a leg or an arm.

For teachers: a limb or organ of a human or animal body.

- He felt a strange tingling sensation in his lower members after the long hike.
- The ancient text described the giant as having powerful members capable of moving massive stones.

### 6. euphemism for penis

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal

a polite or indirect word for the penis.

For teachers: a euphemistic term for the penis.

- The doctor used medical terms rather than referring to his private member.
- The author used the term 'virile member' to maintain a formal tone while describing the statue's anatomy.

## Examples

- She is a member of the local gym.
- Every member of the committee must vote on the new proposal before it can become a law.
- While the organization welcomes new applicants, full voting rights are reserved for any member who has maintained an active subscription for at least three consecutive years.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.