section 1 of 2

1
as in district
an area (as of a city) set apart for some purpose or having some special feature several abandoned warehouses in the city's industrial section are being converted into art galleries and artists' lofts

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in portion
one of the pieces from which something is designed to be assembled had trouble fitting the sections of the bookcase together

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

section

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word section distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of section are division, fragment, member, part, piece, portion, and segment. While all these words mean "something less than the whole," section applies to a relatively small or uniform part.

the entertainment section of the newspaper

In what contexts can division take the place of section?

Although the words division and section have much in common, division applies to a large or diversified part.

the manufacturing division of the company

When is it sensible to use fragment instead of section?

The words fragment and section are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off.

only a fragment of the play still exists

When is member a more appropriate choice than section?

While in some cases nearly identical to section, member suggests one of the functional units composing a body.

a structural member

When can part be used instead of section?

The synonyms part and section are sometimes interchangeable, but part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required.

they ran only part of the way

When would piece be a good substitute for section?

The words piece and section can be used in similar contexts, but piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole.

a puzzle with 500 pieces

When could portion be used to replace section?

While the synonyms portion and section are close in meaning, portion implies an assigned or allotted part.

cut the pie into six portions

When might segment be a better fit than section?

In some situations, the words segment and section are roughly equivalent. However, segment applies to a part separated or marked out by or as if by natural lines of cleavage.

the retired segment of the population

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of section
Noun
But even more Facebook users have left their support for the protest in the discussion section of the protest's Facebook Event page. Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024 Rather than simply autocompleting sections of code, as current AI tools do, these agents can take on more complex work, such as checking code into repositories or combining data to enable analysis. Will Knight, WIRED, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
The minimalist, industrial interiors with spare metallic racks sectioning the space nod to C.P. Company’s penchant for R&D and fabric research. Martino Carrera, WWD, 2 Aug. 2024 Using two strands instead of three, the hair is sectioned into precise partings and twirled together. Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 19 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for section 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for section
Noun
  • Within days, the alliance settled on a single candidate for almost all of the country’s nearly six hundred legislative districts and hammered out a common platform, calling for a minimum-wage hike, a price freeze on energy bills, and the reinstatement of wealth taxes that Macron had cancelled.
    Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024
  • The Republican Party also picked up three seats in the state Legislature, flipping seats in Orange County, Riverside and the Inland Empire, suggesting Democrats in once-safe districts could see bigger fights in the future.
    Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Featuring culturally relevant food icons and portion lines for different age groups, the simple bowl and spoon sets improve meal planning and feeding.
    Cynthia Tully, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
  • The civil war forced millions of Syrians to flee their country, making up a significant portion of the over one million people who journeyed to Germany and neighboring Austria during the European migration crisis of 2015 and 2016.
    Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Community knows community, and Leighton’s parting gift to Kimberly is to send them off in a corner for a make out at the frat party.
    Christina Grace Tucker, Vulture, 28 Nov. 2024
  • And now, after the long nuclear winter of aural isolation, the clouds have parted, the sun is shining through, and the cassette is back, baby.
    SPIN Team, SPIN, 28 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Alec Gellis, 31, stayed behind Monday night to save his home in Malibu’s Serra Retreat neighborhood from the flames.
    Christopher Weber, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Located near Piccadilly Circus at the intersection of Mayfair, Soho, and St. James neighborhoods, Hotel Café Royal is a coveted spot year-round, whether for a stay or just for afternoon tea, as T+L editor Susmita Baral experienced during her visit earlier this year.
    Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • The technology is particularly disruptive in areas like homework help, language learning, and personalized tutoring – traditionally profitable segments for ed-tech companies.
    Robert Daugherty, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
  • Kicking off the in-studio discussion with the contestants’ favorite moments, Yoshi Vintage admitted that a pivotal point for her during the show was stepping into uncharted territory during the battle rap segment.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Emotions cooled after that, but season 47 finished strong with the signature moment of Operation: Italy, followed by a stellar penultimate episode in which separating fact from fiction never appeared harder.
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Entrepreneurs often face the daunting task of separating their emotional attachment to the business from its financial valuation.
    Sara Khaki, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • New Jersey mayors pen letter demanding action on mysterious drone sightings The agency issued a temporary no-drone zone during Saturday afternoon's Army-Navy Game taking place at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
    Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 14 Dec. 2024
  • The impressive lobby-level facility keeps kids entertained with several engaging facilities like a zipline, a performance stage, a splatter room, and a slime zone, among many others.
    Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Farming has fragmented their rolling grassland habitat, and feeding on cattle carcasses puts them at risk of disease.
    Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
  • At the same time, forests are increasingly fragmented, less actively managed, and under siege from invasive pests like the emerald ash borer and diseases like sudden oak death.
    Anne Readel, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near section

Cite this Entry

“Section.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/section. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on section

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!