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noun

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article
1 of 2

noun

ar·ti·cle ˈär-ti-kəl

pluralarticles

Synonyms of article

: a distinct often numbered section of a writing

an article of the constitution

: a separate clause

: a stipulation in a document (such as a contract or a creed)

articles of indenture

: a nonfictional prose composition usually forming an independent part of a publication (such as a

magazine)

wrote an article for the newspaper

: a document setting forth the terms of an agreement —usually plural

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the certificate of filing of the articles of
merger and plan of merger …

—Ruby Anne M. Rubio

articles of consolidation

articles of incorporation

: an item of business : MATTER

3
grammar : any of a small set of words or affixes (such as a, an, and the) used with nouns to limit or give
definiteness to the application

: a member of a class of things

especially : an item of goods

articles of value

: a thing or person of a particular and distinctive kind or class

the genuine article

article

2 of 2

verb

articled; articling ˈär-ti-k(ə-)liŋ

transitive verb

: to bind by articles (as of apprenticeship) (see ARTICLE entry 1 sense 1c)

He went to Durham Grammar School, was articled to a solicitor in Newcastle at seventeen, moved to
another firm in London at twenty …

—T. J. Binyon

Synonyms

Noun

composition

essay

paper

theme

Examples of article in a Sentence

Noun

I just read an interesting article on the city's early history.

He has published numerous articles in scholarly journals.

Article 3 of the U.S. Constitution.

The company amended its articles of incorporation.

Verb

He articled at the famous law firm many years ago.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This article contains spoilers for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

—EW.com, 25 May 2024

Not enough articles found, displaying latest articles below.

—Baltimore Sun, 25 May 2024

Verb

Dozens of interviews and articles online purport to prepare candidates for the Wharton TBD.

—Dr. Marlena Corcoran, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024

Only articles with more than 25,000 engagements were considered; 80 made up the final list.

—NBC News, 29 Dec. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of
the word 'article.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster
or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "item or statement (in a set of rules, doctrines, etc.), clause in a statute or will, item or
detail of concern," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin articulus
"connecting point of two bones, joint, part of a limb or digit between two joints, point of time, clause of
a document, pronoun or pronominal adjective," from artus (genitive artūs) "joint, limb, part of the body"
+ -culus, diminutive suffix; Latin artus going back to Indo-European *h2r̥-tú- "joining" (zero-grade
derivative of the verbal base *h2er- "fit, join"), whence also Greek artýs "order, arrangement" (recorded
only by the grammarian Hesychius; from which Greek artýein "to arrange, prepare"), Armenian ard
(genitive ardu) "order," Sanskrit ṛtúḥ "fixed time, order, rule," Avestan ratu- "period of time" — more at
ARM entry 3

NOTE: As a grammatical term Latin articulus was a translation of Greek árthron "connecting point, joint,"
which in the Stoic grammatical tradition designated both the pronoun (árthron hōrísmenon "definite
article") and the article (árthron aóriston/aorístōdes "indefinite article," though Greek possessed only
what is now considered a definite article in traditional grammar). In the later work of the grammarian
Apollonius Dyscolus (2nd century a.d.) the pronoun was given a distinct term (antōnymía). The Roman
grammarian QUINTILIAN clearly understood articulus to mean "article" in the current sense in stating
that "our speech [i.e., Latin, in contrast with Greek] has no need of articles" ("noster sermo articulos non
desiderat").

Verb

derivative of ARTICLE entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1693, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of article was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing article

an article of faith

article of faith

definite article

indefinite article

leading article

the genuine article

Articles Related to article

a vs an

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An...

Dictionary Entries Near article

artichoke thistle

article

article of faith

Cite this Entry

Style

MLA

“Article.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster,

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/article. Accessed 9 Jun. 2024.

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Kids Definition

article

noun

ar·ti·cle ˈärt-i-kəl

: a separate part of a document dealing with a single subject

the third article of the U.S. Constitution

: a piece of writing other than fiction or poetry that forms an independent part of a publication (as a
magazine)

: a word (as a, an, or the) used with a noun to limit it or make it clearer

: a member of a class of things

articles of clothing

Legal Definition

article

noun

ar·ti·cle

: a separate and usually numbered or otherwise marked section (as of a statute, indictment, will, or
other writing)
b

: a separate point, charge, count, or clause

: a condition or stipulation in a document (as a contract)

: a document setting forth the terms of an agreement —usually used in pl.

articles of merger

plural : ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

More from Merriam-Webster on article

Nglish: Translation of article for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of article for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about article

Last Updated: 30 May 2024 - Updated example sentences

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