diff --git a/test/experimental/test_vocab.py b/test/experimental/test_vocab.py
index 85c58ea67d..d091d7796b 100644
--- a/test/experimental/test_vocab.py
+++ b/test/experimental/test_vocab.py
@@ -33,6 +33,17 @@ def test_new_unk(self):
         self.assertEqual(v['<new_unk>'], 0)
         self.assertEqual(v['not_in_it'], 0)
 
+    def test_vocab_membership(self):
+        token_to_freq = {'<unk>': 2, 'a': 2, 'b': 2}
+        sorted_by_freq_tuples = sorted(token_to_freq.items(), key=lambda x: x[1], reverse=True)
+        c = OrderedDict(sorted_by_freq_tuples)
+        v = vocab(c, min_freq=2)
+
+        self.assertTrue('<unk>' in v)
+        self.assertTrue('a' in v)
+        self.assertTrue('b' in v)
+        self.assertFalse('c' in v)
+
     def test_vocab_get_item(self):
         token_to_freq = {'<unk>': 2, 'a': 2, 'b': 2}
         sorted_by_freq_tuples = sorted(token_to_freq.items(), key=lambda x: x[1], reverse=True)
diff --git a/torchtext/csrc/register_bindings.cpp b/torchtext/csrc/register_bindings.cpp
index e41783cef1..0b325bcda6 100644
--- a/torchtext/csrc/register_bindings.cpp
+++ b/torchtext/csrc/register_bindings.cpp
@@ -107,6 +107,12 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(_torchtext, m) {
       .def(py::init<std::vector<std::string>, std::string>())
       .def_readonly("itos_", &Vocab::itos_)
       .def_readonly("unk_token_", &Vocab::unk_token_)
+      .def("__contains__",
+           [](c10::intrusive_ptr<Vocab> &self, const py::str &item) -> bool {
+             ssize_t length;
+             const char *buffer = PyUnicode_AsUTF8AndSize(item.ptr(), &length);
+             return self->__contains__(c10::string_view{buffer, (size_t)length});
+           })
       .def("__getitem__",
            [](c10::intrusive_ptr<Vocab> &self, const py::str &item) -> int64_t {
              ssize_t length;
@@ -229,6 +235,9 @@ TORCH_LIBRARY_FRAGMENT(torchtext, m) {
 
   m.class_<Vocab>("Vocab")
       .def(torch::init<StringList, std::string>())
+      .def("__contains__",
+           [](const c10::intrusive_ptr<Vocab> &self, const std::string &item)
+               -> bool { return self->__contains__(c10::string_view{item}); })
       .def("__getitem__",
            [](const c10::intrusive_ptr<Vocab> &self, const std::string &item)
                -> int64_t { return self->__getitem__(c10::string_view{item}); })
diff --git a/torchtext/csrc/vocab.cpp b/torchtext/csrc/vocab.cpp
index b6fa2099d7..1831d46f39 100644
--- a/torchtext/csrc/vocab.cpp
+++ b/torchtext/csrc/vocab.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,15 @@ Vocab::Vocab(const StringList &tokens, const std::string &unk_token)
 
 int64_t Vocab::__len__() const { return itos_.size(); }
 
+bool Vocab::__contains__(const c10::string_view &token) const {
+  int64_t id = _find(token);
+  if (stoi_[id] != -1) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
+
 int64_t Vocab::__getitem__(const c10::string_view &token) const {
   int64_t id = _find(token);
   if (stoi_[id] != -1) {
diff --git a/torchtext/csrc/vocab.h b/torchtext/csrc/vocab.h
index 660f6145d4..d915c7de27 100644
--- a/torchtext/csrc/vocab.h
+++ b/torchtext/csrc/vocab.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ struct Vocab : torch::CustomClassHolder {
                  const std::string &unk_token);
   int64_t __len__() const;
   int64_t __getitem__(const c10::string_view &token) const;
+  bool __contains__(const c10::string_view &token) const;
   void append_token(const std::string &token);
   void insert_token(const std::string &token, const int64_t &index);
   std::string lookup_token(const int64_t &index);
diff --git a/torchtext/experimental/vocab.py b/torchtext/experimental/vocab.py
index 7045ba65b0..26f393ce36 100644
--- a/torchtext/experimental/vocab.py
+++ b/torchtext/experimental/vocab.py
@@ -175,6 +175,17 @@ def __len__(self) -> int:
         """
         return len(self.vocab)
 
+    @torch.jit.export
+    def __contains__(self, token: str) -> bool:
+        r"""
+        Args:
+            token (str): the token for which to check the membership
+
+        Returns:
+            membership (bool): whether the token is member of vocab or not
+        """
+        return self.vocab.__contains__(token)
+
     @torch.jit.export
     def __getitem__(self, token: str) -> int:
         r"""
diff --git a/version.txt b/version.txt
index 7e4490fc70..37f1777fc3 100644
--- a/version.txt
+++ b/version.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.10.0a0
\ No newline at end of file
+0.10.0a0