article

1 of 2

noun

ar·​ti·​cle ˈär-ti-kəl 

plural articles

1

a

: a distinct often numbered section of a writing

an article of the constitution

b

: a separate clause

c

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

articles of indenture

d

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

wrote an article for the newspaper

e

: 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

2

: 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

4

: a member of a class of things

especially : an item of goods

articles of value

5

: 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

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own. —Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024

Baltimore Sun photojournalist Lloyd Fox contributed to this article. —Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 10 Dec. 2024

Verb

Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for HBO Makary has criticized in books and articles the overprescribing of drugs, the use of pesticides on foods and the undue influence of pharmaceutical and insurance companies over doctors and government regulators. —CBS News, 22 Nov. 2024

The committee was formed in the wake of IndyStar and Mirror Indy articles about the issues. —Hayleigh Colombo, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Oct. 2024

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

Phrases Containing article

• an article of faith
• article of faith
• definite article
• indefinite article
• leading article
• the genuine article

Kids Definition

article

noun

ar·​ti·​cle

ˈärt-i-kəl

1

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

the third article of the U.S. Constitution

2

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

3

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

4

: a member of a class of things

articles of clothing

Legal Definition

article

noun

ar·​ti·​cle

1

a

: 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

c

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

2

: a document setting forth the terms of an agreement

—usually used in pl.

articles of merger

3

plural : articles of incorporation