Section meaning, definition, and synonyms

A section is a part of something larger. It can be a part of a book or newspaper, a department in an organization, a group in a class, or a separate piece of an object. The word also has several more specific technical meanings in science, geometry, and anatomy.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Pronunciation

AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).

Accent: General American English

IPA: /ˈsɛkʃən/

Easy pronunciation: SEK-shən (approximate spelling).

Stress: Stress the first syllable: SEK.

Noun meaning a part or division of something bigger.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Section Meaning

a part or division of something bigger

Part of speech: noun

Definition: one part of a larger whole, especially a part of a book, newspaper, organization, or object

Example: Please read the next section before the meeting.

Synonyms for this meaning:

part — A broad, natural substitute in this sense.
division — Works when something is formally divided into parts.
subdivision — Best when the part is an organized smaller division.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Other Meanings of Section

Meaning 2

a department or branch of an organization

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a specialized division of a large organization

Example: She works in the finance section of the company.

Synonyms for this meaning:

department — A close match for this organizational sense.

Meaning 3

a separate class group

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a small class of students taught separately as part of a larger course

Example: He taught two discussion sections this semester.

Synonyms for this meaning:

discussion section — The specific term for this class-group sense.

Meaning 4

a surgical cut

Part of speech: noun

Definition: the cutting of or into body tissues or organs, especially during surgery

Example: The surgeon made an incision.

Synonyms for this meaning:

incision — The direct synonym for this medical sense.
surgical incision — More specific, but still a valid substitute in medical contexts.

Meaning 5

a geometric cut surface

Part of speech: noun

Definition: the area created by a plane cutting through a solid

Example: The diagram shows a plane section of the solid.

Synonyms for this meaning:

plane section — The exact technical term for this geometry sense.

Meaning 6

a separate part of a larger system

Part of speech: noun

Definition: one of the portions into which something is divided and that together make a whole

Example: The report has a section on costs.

Synonyms for this meaning:

part — Works well when referring to one piece within a whole.
division — Suitable when the whole is formally divided.

Meaning 7

a piece that fits with other pieces

Part of speech: noun

Definition: one of several parts or pieces that fit together to make a whole object

Example: The rod comes in three sections.

Synonyms for this meaning:

segment — A good fit for physical pieces that join together.

Meaning 8

a separate area or community group

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a distinct region or subdivision of a territorial, political, or social area

Example: That part of town is the old Jewish section.

Meaning 9

a group of the same kind of instruments

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a division of an orchestra containing instruments of the same type

Example: The brass section was especially loud.

Meaning 10

a square-mile land unit

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a land unit equal to one square mile

Example: They owned several sections of farmland.

Meaning 11

a piece of orange, lemon, or similar fruit

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a segment of a citrus fruit

Example: She ate a section of orange.

Meaning 12

a small military unit

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a small army unit with a special function

Example: The reconnaissance section moved ahead of the platoon.

Meaning 13

a small police team

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a small team of policemen working as part of a police platoon

Example: The police section was called in to help.

Meaning 14

a thin slice for study under a microscope

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a very thin slice of tissue, mineral, or another substance for microscope examination

Example: The lab prepared sections from the tissue sample.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Section Synonyms

Similar Meaning

part
division
subdivision

organizational division

department

surgical cut

incision
surgical incision

geometry

plane section

class group

discussion section

object piece

segment

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Common Mistakes

Using section to mean incision in everyday writing about non-medical cuts.
Mixing up section and segment: segment is usually a piece of an object or a clearly divided part, while section is broader and more general.
Assuming every section synonym works in every sense; the right substitute depends on context.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the basic meaning of section?

Section usually means a part or division of something larger.

What are the best synonyms for section?

For the main everyday sense, the best synonyms are part, division, and subdivision. In some contexts, department, segment, or incision may fit better.

Is section always a noun?

No. Section can also be a verb meaning to divide into segments.

Does section mean the same thing in all contexts?

No. It has several distinct senses, including a part of a text, a department, a class group, a surgical cut, and a piece of an object.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.