charter member

noun

: an original member of a group (such as a society or corporation)
charter membership noun

Examples of charter member in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
That’s when the SEC filed a federal lawsuit against one of its charter members (LSU) and high-profile football coaches (Lane Kiffin) over their intent to put some of those players on their roster. — Matt Baker, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 That includes his standing as a charter member of The Club, founded in 1949 in Greenwich Village, a tight group of the era’s most influential painters and thinkers. — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Naperville North and Naperville Central are the only remaining charter members. — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 At the start of the war, Varnum became a charter member and commander of the Kentish Guards, organizing the company to march to Boston after the Battle of Lexington and Concord. — Catherine Messier, The Providence Journal, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for charter member

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of charter member was in 1842

Rhymes for charter member

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Browse Nearby Words

charterite
charter member
charter school
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Cite this Entry

“Charter member.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charter%20member. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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