section
Americannoun
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a part that is cut off or separated.
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a distinct part or subdivision of anything, as an object, country, community, class, or the like: the left section of a drawer.
the members' section of a golf course;
the left section of a drawer.
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a distinct part or subdivision of a writing, as of a newspaper, legal code, chapter, etc.: section 2 of the bylaws.
the financial section of a daily paper;
section 2 of the bylaws.
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one of a number of parts that can be fitted together to make a whole.
sections of a fishing rod.
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(in most of the United States west of Ohio) one of the 36 numbered subdivisions, each one square mile (2.59 sq. km or 640 acres), of a township.
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an act or instance of cutting; separation by cutting.
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Surgery.
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the making of an incision.
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an incision.
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a thin slice of a tissue, mineral, or the like, as for microscopic examination.
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a representation of an object as it would appear if cut by a plane, showing its internal structure.
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Military.
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a small unit consisting of two or more squads.
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Also called staff section. any of the subdivisions of a staff.
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a small tactical division in naval and air units.
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Railroads.
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a division of a sleeping car containing both an upper and a lower berth.
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a length of trackage, roadbed, signal equipment, etc., maintained by one crew.
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any of two or more trains, buses, or the like, running on the same route and schedule at the same time, one right behind the other, and considered as one unit, as when a second is necessary to accommodate more passengers than the first can carry.
On holidays the New York to Boston train runs in three sections.
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a segment of a naturally segmented fruit, as of an orange or grapefruit.
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a division of an orchestra or band containing all the instruments of one class: the string section.
a rhythm section;
the string section.
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Bookbinding. signature.
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Also called section mark. a mark used to indicate a subdivision of a book, chapter, or the like, or as a mark of reference to a footnote.
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Theater. one of a series of circuits for controlling certain lights, as footlights.
verb (used with object)
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to cut or divide into sections.
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to cut through so as to present a section.
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Surgery. to make an incision.
noun
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a part cut off or separated from the main body of something
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a part or subdivision of a piece of writing, book, etc
the sports section of the newspaper
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one of several component parts
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a distinct part or subdivision of a country, community, etc
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an area one mile square (640 acres) in a public survey, esp in the western parts of the US and Canada
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a plot of land for building on, esp in a suburban area
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the section of a railway track that is maintained by a single crew or is controlled by a particular signal box
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the act or process of cutting or separating by cutting
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a representation of a portion of a building or object exposed when cut by an imaginary vertical plane so as to show its construction and interior
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geometry
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a plane surface formed by cutting through a solid
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the shape or area of such a plane surface Compare cross section
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surgery any procedure involving the cutting or division of an organ, structure, or part, such as a Caesarian section
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a thin slice of biological tissue, mineral, etc, prepared for examination by a microscope
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a segment of an orange or other citrus fruit
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a small military formation, typically comprising two or more squads or aircraft
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a fare stage on a bus, tram, etc
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music
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an extended division of a composition or movement that forms a coherent part of the structure
the development section
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a division in an orchestra, band, etc, containing instruments belonging to the same class
the brass section
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Also called: signature. gathering. gather. quire. a folded printing sheet or sheets ready for gathering and binding
verb
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to cut or divide into sections
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to cut through so as to reveal a section
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(in drawing, esp mechanical drawing) to shade so as to indicate sections
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surgery to cut or divide (an organ, structure, or part)
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social welfare to have (a mentally disturbed person) confined in a mental hospital under an appropriate section of the mental health legislation
Synonym Usage
See part.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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sectionsimple
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sectionssimple
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have sectionedperfect
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has sectionedperfect
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am sectioningprogressive
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are sectioningprogressive
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is sectioningprogressive
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have been sectioningperfect progressive
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has been sectioningperfect progressive
Past
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sectionedsimple
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had sectionedperfect
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was sectioningprogressive
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were sectioningprogressive
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had been sectioningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of section
First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin sectiōn- (stem of sectiō ) “a cutting,” equivalent to sect(us) (past participle of secāre “to cut”; see saw 1) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A section is a part or piece of something that fits together with the other pieces to make a whole. Like the arts section of a newspaper, or the rhythm section of the band that gets reviewed in it. The root of section is the Latin word sect, which means "cut." Think dissect ("cut into pieces"), or bisect ("cut in two"). Insects are called insects because they're made up of sections — the head, the abdomen, and the thorax. It almost looks like they've been carved into three separate parts.
Vocabulary lists containing section
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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A Cut Above: Sect, Sec
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Reading: Informational - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Jon Omer, 58, recently teamed up with the owners of a fulfillment center in Indiana to bring courts to a 20,000-square-foot section of their building, which still operates as a warehouse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
But sitting two points off top spot in the northern hemisphere section of the Nations Championship, Borthwick's side are in a strong position to welcome Australia, Japan and New Zealand to Allianz Stadium in November.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Luke Rodgers responded in the comment section with two heart emojis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
As the water moves beyond the constricted section, pressure rises and the bubbles violently collapse.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
“This entire section lost power today. It won’t be fixed until next week sometime. No one is watching us.”
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
The two-lane carriageway in the sky was one of the first sections of the M4 and a relic of the 1960s freeway building boom after the explosion in postwar car ownership.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Tesla on Tuesday announced that it would offer robotaxi services in Tampa and Orlando, after expanding to Miami earlier in July, although its service is for now limited to small sections of those new cities.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Favourable conditions including low wind and rainfall on Saturday meant emergency responders were able to make "marked improvements" in extinguishing large sections of the six square kilometre area affected.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Some ground-level history does make its way in, as in two sections where Mr. Dillon discusses the work of Xue Baoqi, a 1960s photographer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
The ACT was composed of four sections: math, English, science and reading.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
The house was purchased for $1 from the developer, sectioned and transported on flatbed trucks to Altadena.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
If you want frozen garlic — already sectioned and ready-to-use — Trader Joe’s carries the Dorot brand of frozen crushed garlic cubes.
From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2026
A small, makeshift rink sectioned off by barricades was stationed in the corner, and the glam bar was closed down by the second day of the event.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026
Afraid that Ayla posed a risk to herself, she was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and treated at a Camhs in-patient unit.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
Their own shapes sectioned in the thin and watery glass of the window there.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
Skelton said the decision to release Calocane to the crisis team and return him to his accommodation was not a "gamble" or influenced by Calocane trying to "dissuade" him from sectioning him.
From BBC ● May 7, 2026
Researchers have incorporated a swept illumination source into an open-top light-sheet microscope to enable improved optical sectioning over a larger area of view.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 20, 2024
“It is also equipped with manipulating arms which could be used to extricate the sub, such as by sectioning cables or things that would be blocking it at the bottom.”
From Washington Times ● Jun. 22, 2023
Johnson began by teaching the kids some basic techniques, like parting and sectioning hair, and by introducing them to the tools of the trade.
From Seattle Times ● May 10, 2023
But this neatness, the neatness of Dante, was in the orderly sectioning and segregating of all levels of evil and decay.
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.