section

noun

sec·tion | \ ˈsek-shən

Definition of section

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the action or an instance of cutting or separating by cutting

b : a part set off by or as if by cutting

2 : a distinct part or portion of something written (such as a chapter, law, or newspaper)

3a : the profile of something as it would appear if cut through by an intersecting plane

b : the plane figure resulting from the cutting of a solid by a plane

4 : a natural subdivision of a taxonomic group

5 : a character § used as a mark for the beginning of a section and as a reference mark

6 : a piece of land one square mile in area forming especially one of the 36 subdivisions of a township

7 : a distinct part of a territorial or political area, community, or group of people the historic section of the city

8a : a part that may be, is, or is viewed as separated a board cut into sections the northern section of the route

b : one segment of a fruit : carpel

9 : a basic military unit usually having a special function

10 : a very thin slice (as of tissue) suitable for microscopic examination

11a : one of the classes formed by dividing the students taking a course

b : one of the discussion groups into which a conference or organization is divided

12a : a part of a permanent railroad way under the care of a particular crew

b : one of two or more vehicles or trains which run on the same schedule

13 : one of several component parts that may be assembled or reassembled a bookcase in sections

14 : a division of an orchestra composed of one class of instruments the string section

15 : signature sense 3b

section

verb

sectioned; sectioning\ ˈsek-sh(ə-)niŋ

Definition of section (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to cut or separate into sections section an orange

2 : to represent in sections

intransitive verb

: to become cut or separated into parts

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about section

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Choose the Right Synonym for section

Noun

part, portion, piece, member, division, section, segment, fragment mean something less than the whole. part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required. they ran only part of the way portion implies an assigned or allotted part. cut the pie into six portions piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole. a puzzle with 500 pieces member suggests one of the functional units composing a body. a structural member division applies to a large or diversified part. the manufacturing division of the company section applies to a relatively small or uniform part. the entertainment section of the newspaper segment applies to a part separated or marked out by or as if by natural lines of cleavage. the retired segment of the population fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off. only a fragment of the play still exists

Examples of section in a Sentence

Noun

the upper section of the bridge This section of the road is closed. the frozen food section in the supermarket the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn Do you want to sit in the nonsmoking section? The dictionary includes a section on signs and symbols. Section 1123 of the bankruptcy code. ads that target one section of the population The siding comes in five-foot sections.

Verb

Peel and section the orange. Section the chicken and marinate the parts. She was sectioned by the judge.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

At that visit, the doctor pulled out a small device and started analyzing sections of my bare skin. — As Told To Hannah Harper, Health.com, "This Influencer’s Birthmark Turned Out to Be Melanoma: 'I Could Feel It Growing'," 12 Sep. 2019 The second section eliminates party-specific primary elections. — James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, "Judge says signature-gathering can begin for ranked-choice ballot measure," 12 Sep. 2019 The Sunday Times said the section dealt with the impact on oil refineries. — Alex Morales, Fortune, "The U.K. Government’s Worst Case Brexit Scenario Looks a Lot Like ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’," 12 Sep. 2019 The observatory’s second section will be in Australia. — Davide Castelvecchi, Scientific American, "Giant “Bubbles” Spotted Around Milky Way’s Black Hole," 11 Sep. 2019 But when a partial roof collapse at another section of the strip mall led the city's Office of Construction Review to kick out all store owners on July 26, Sandman and his wife were left with nothing. — Benjamin Tobin, The Courier-Journal, "'Not hearing anything': Stores at St. Matthews strip mall left in dark after roof collapse," 11 Sep. 2019 The section devoted to prosthetics, for example, delves into the stories of those who use the artificial limbs rather than showcasing the engineering that powers the technology. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "This London Gallery Is Working to Be One of the World’s Most Accessible Museums," 11 Sep. 2019 All proceeds from the sale help subsidize the children and adult programs at the Somers Public Library, as well as assist in the funding of local museum passes, Snacks with Santa, and hands-on discovery stations in the children’s section. — courant.com, "Community News For The Enfield Edition," 11 Sep. 2019 Access roads are gravel/dirt with some washboard sections that are suitable for passenger vehicles. — Mare Czinar, azcentral, "Sycamore Canyon hike has dramatic views, but don't venture over the edge unprepared," 11 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Fischer did not allow the final not-Mozart sections their perfunctory function. — Los Angeles Times, "Mozart’s Requiem at the Hollywood Bowl takes on special relevance in tragic times," 7 Aug. 2019 They are sectioned-off, chain-link indoor pens where children who come to the border without adults or who are separated from adults in detention are temporarily housed. — Amanda Seitz, Fortune, "Trump’s and Democrats’ Incendiary Week: Fact Checking Claims," 20 July 2019 Every summer, the bulls are let loose on a sectioned-off portion of the town's streets as part of a festival. — Julia Fair, Cincinnati.com, "'Mom's not gonna like this.' Northern Kentucky man gored by bull in Pamplona, Spain, now recovering.," 9 July 2019 At Cutz Lounge the Grooming Shop in Detroit, the owner, Dante Williams, 41, has sectioned off a corner of his 4,000-square-foot business with couches, where adults stop by and gossip or share news. — Christine Hauser, BostonGlobe.com, "Barbershops, laundromats helping to turn kids on to the joy of reading," 2 July 2019 At Cutz Lounge the Grooming Shop in Detroit, the owner, Dante Williams, 41, has sectioned off a corner of his 4,000-square-foot business with couches, where adults stop by and gossip or share news. — New York Times, "Want Kids to Learn the Joy of Reading? Barbershops and Laundromats Can Help," 2 July 2019 Routes for the Bike MS ride can be found in the fundraising events section at www.nationalmssociety.org. — Michelle Mullins, Elgin Courier-News, "Elgin News Digest," 14 June 2019 For the cover, Gigi's hair is sectioned off, with some pieces teased into a large updo, and others left to frame her face. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Gigi Hadid Appears on the September "Vogue Brazil" Cover," 29 Aug. 2018 But climate change is a borderless issue, one that cannot be compartmentalized by lines drawn to distinguish state boundaries and section off land parcels for lease sales. — Maia Wikler, Teen Vogue, "Activists Protest Bureau of Land Management Leasing That Allow Oil and Gas Drilling on Public Lands," 15 Apr. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'section.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

section

Definition of section

Synonyms for section

Choose the Right Synonym for section

Examples of section in a Sentence

First Known Use of section

section

Definition of section

Synonyms for section

Choose the Right Synonym for section

Examples of section in a Sentence

First Known Use of section

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