membership

[ mem-ber-ship ]

/ ˈmɛm bərˌʃɪp /

the state of being a member, as of a society or club.

the status of a member.

the total number of members belonging to an organization, society, etc.

Origin of membership

First recorded in 1640–50; member + -ship

But the main message they send is one of membership in a certain cultural group.

COEXIST’s Bonehead Bumper-Sticker Politics |Michael Schulson |December 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Today, Turkey in the German imagination has mostly to do with immigration, assimilation, and EU membership.

The 20th-Century Dictator Most Idolized by Hitler |William O’Connor |November 24, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
At its height in the 1920s, Terry noted, the Klan wielded real political influence, boasting a membership upwards of four million.

The Klan’s Call to Violence in Ferguson Blows the Lid Off Its Hypocritical Rebrand |Caitlin Dickson |November 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Some are hung by individuals who are vying for membership within the Chinese Communist Party.

Chinese Tourists Are Taking Hong Kong Protest Selfies |Brendon Hong |October 23, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Last weekend former Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko called for a nationwide referendum on NATO membership.

Putin and Poroshenko Agree to… Think About a Ukraine Ceasefire |Anna Nemtsova |September 3, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
So far as the duties of membership in the Village Improvement Society are concerned, they only consist in doing as one is bid.

The Doctor's Red Lamp |Various
In many places the leadership and the membership of the church have courageously pioneered the way in times of crisis and change.

Herein is Love |Reuel L. Howe
These could be admitted to membership, and at the club-house could be met on equal terms.

Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science |Various
I would choose for its badge of membership a small silver fern leaf, crossed by a large gold key.

Solaris Farm |Milan C. Edson
She still kept her membership in the club, however, and played occasionally, “just to keep her hand in for the summer.”

Betty Wales Freshman |Edith K. Dunton

membership

/ (ˈmɛmbəˌʃɪp) /

the members of an organization collectively

the state of being a member