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

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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
In one section of 16 players, there are four Grand Slam champions (Gauff, Kenin, Osaka, Ostapenko), two Grand Slam finalists (Muchova and Leylah Fernandez) and an Olympic gold medalist (Belinda Bencic). Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025 Further details are provided in the System Upgrade Persistence section. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
Your natural hair is sectioned into smaller parts and pressed in between two wefts of hair extensions. Jazmine Boutte, StyleCaster, 7 Oct. 2024 The lineup is sectioned into galas, signature screenings, special presentation, professional and student competition films, Docs to Watch, Pixels and Pencils, and the Behind the Lens and Below the Line panel series. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for section 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for section
Noun
  • Russian film director Sergei Eisenstein's 1936 film Battleship Potemkin, widely regarded as a cinematic masterpiece, made the Potemkin Steps that descend into the port district an icon of film history.
    Michael Robinson Chávez, NPR, 6 Jan. 2025
  • According to Lugo, the district was unaware of the investigation involving Rafols until Homestead police alerted school police just before his arrest.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The Tuesday, January 7 episode of Wheel was a special one as current host Ryan Seacrest paused the game portion of the show to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the various folks who work on the program.
    Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
  • Washington — The Justice Department urged a federal appeals court in Atlanta on Wednesday to clear the way for the release of a portion of special counsel Jack Smith's report detailing his investigations into President-elect Donald Trump.
    Robert Legare, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Biden’s parting gift to America — migrant terrorists.
    Gabrielle M. Etzel, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Jan. 2025
  • Her long, honey blonde hair was parted to the side and cascaded around her shoulders in soft waves.
    Catherine Santino, People.com, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • It was posted long enough for screenshots to speed through neighbors’ text message chains and for the text to be copied onto neighborhood Ring camera chat groups and the Watch Duty app.
    Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
  • The Kenneth Fire started burning Thursday evening in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles, near the Calabasas neighborhood, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
    Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Their broadcasts led with segments from the scenes of the deadly attacks that told viewers what was known at the time and included footage of press conferences by the law enforcement agencies investigating the crimes.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2025
  • Private credit has been one of the fastest-growing segments of the financial system over the past 15 years, growing nearly tenfold to $2 trillion by the end of 2023.
    Andreas Schweitzer, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • But what does separate him from those in Blaugrana however, is his willingness to defend.
    Adam Digby, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
  • To put it in simplest terms, quadrants are a way to separate and weigh games depending on where they were played, who they were played against, and the expected winning percentage against an opponent’s NET ranking.
    Mark Schindler, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Mitchell said some relatives tried to intervene and help but were stopped by firefighters from entering the evacuation zone.
    Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
  • Twelve people were missing within the Eaton Fire zone and four were missing from the Palisades Fire, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
    Marc Sternfield, The Hill, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The media decayed and fragmented, along with the nation.
    Fergus McIntosh, The New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2025
  • The coming launch of Venu and ESPN’s stand-alone service will fragment the business further.
    Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near section

Cite this Entry

“Section.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/section. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.

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