What does "section" mean?
A cutting; a part cut out from the rest of something.
Section
/ˈsɛkʃən/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A cutting; a part cut out from the rest of something.
- Grammar: section is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: part, division, segment, slice.
- Useful contrasts: combine, elevation energy, entirety.
- Usage evidence: You don't have proper dignity as chief of the section.
How to use "section"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "section" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "section" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "section" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "section" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "section" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "part" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "section", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A cutting; a part cut out from the rest of something.
- 2 the cutting of or into body tissues or organs (especially by a surgeon as part of an operation) wordnet
- 3 A part, piece, subdivision of anything.
"Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. […] But the scandals kept coming, and so we entered stage three – what therapists call "bargaining". A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul. Instead it offers fixes and patches."
- 4 one of several parts or pieces that fit with others to constitute a whole object wordnet
- 5 A part, piece, subdivision of anything.; A group of instruments in an orchestra.
"The horn section is the group of symphonic musicians who play the French horn."
Show 32 more definitions
- 6 one of the portions into which something is regarded as divided and which together constitute a whole wordnet
- 7 A part of a document, especially a major part; often notated with §.
- 8 a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical) wordnet
- 9 An act or instance of cutting.
- 10 a segment of a citrus fruit wordnet
- 11 A cross-section (image that shows an object as if cut along a plane).
"Japan and China also produced Noah's arks, where Noah was known as Fohi. They were of wood and beautifully decorated, the animals being bright in color and usually flat in section and fixed to flat stands."
- 12 a specialized division of a large organization wordnet
- 13 A cross-section (image that shows an object as if cut along a plane).; A cross-section perpendicular the longitudinal axis of an aircraft in flight.
- 14 a small team of policemen working as part of a police platoon wordnet
- 15 A cross-section (image that shows an object as if cut along a plane).; A function that generalizes the notion of the graph of a function; formally, a continuous right inverse to the projection map of a fiber bundle.
- 16 a small army unit usually having a special function wordnet
- 17 A cross-section (image that shows an object as if cut along a plane).; A right inverse of a morphism in some category
- 18 a division of an orchestra containing all instruments of the same class wordnet
- 19 A cross-section (image that shows an object as if cut along a plane).; An object which is defined by analogy with sections of fiber bundles but in a more general setting (that of sheaves). Formally, an element of the image of an open set under the action of a (pre-)sheaf.
- 20 a small class of students who are part of a larger course but are taught separately wordnet
- 21 An incision or the act of making an incision.
- 22 (geometry) the area created by a plane cutting through a solid wordnet
- 23 An incision or the act of making an incision.; Ellipsis of Caesarean section. abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, ellipsis
"They had planned to go into my section scar but the surgeon didnʼt think he could see well enough."
- 24 a distinct region or subdivision of a territorial or political area or community or group of people wordnet
- 25 thin section, a thin slice of material prepared as a specimen for research.
- 26 a very thin slice (of tissue or mineral or other substance) for examination under a microscope wordnet
- 27 A taxonomic rank below the genus (and subgenus if present), but above the species.
- 28 a land unit equal to 1 square mile wordnet
- 29 An informal taxonomic rank below the order ranks and above the family ranks.
- 30 A group of 10-15 soldiers led by a non-commissioned officer and forming part of a platoon.
- 31 A piece of residential land; a plot. New-Zealand
- 32 Synonym of square mile, a unit of land area, especially in the contexts of Canadian surveys and American land grants and legal property descriptions. Canada, US
- 33 The symbol §, denoting a section of a document.
- 34 A sequence of rock layers.
- 35 Archeological section; vertical plane and cross-section of the ground to view its profile and stratigraphy; part of an archeological sequence.
- 36 Angle section, L-section, angle iron, steel angle, slotted angle.
- 37 A class in a school; a group of students in a regularly scheduled meeting with a teacher in a certain school year or semester or school quarter year. Philippines
Verb
- 1 To cut, divide or separate into pieces. transitive
"Overlap spans and neutral sections have been provided at intervals along the line, which is thus sectioned electrically, not only at the feeder station and track sectioning cabins, but also by switches at certain overlap spans."
- 2 divide into segments wordnet
- 3 To reduce to the degree of thinness required for study with the microscope. transitive
- 4 To commit (a person) to a hospital for mental health treatment as an involuntary patient. So called after various sections of legal acts regarding mental health. Australia, New-Zealand, UK, transitive
"Tribunals were set up as watchdogs in cases of compulsory detention (sectioning). […] Informal patients, however, could be sectioned, and this was often a fear of patients once they were in hospital."
- 5 To perform a cesarean section on (someone). transitive
""But if she's gone into active labour she could be bleeding massively and you may have to section her there and then.""
Example
"You don't have proper dignity as chief of the section."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "section"?
Common synonyms include: part, division, segment, slice, subdivision, abscission.
How do you use "section" in a sentence?
You don't have proper dignity as chief of the section.
How do you pronounce "section"?
Pronounced /ˈsɛkʃən/.
Etymology
From Middle English seccioun, from Old French section, from Latin sectiō (“cutting, cutting off, excision, amputation of diseased parts of the body, etc.”), from sectus, past participle of secāre (“to cut”). More at saw.