belonged; belonging; belongs
1
a
: to be suitable, appropriate, or advantageous
a dictionary belongs in every home
b
: to be in a proper situation
a man of his ability belongs in teaching
2
a
: to be the property of a person or thing
—used with to
the book belongs to me
b
: to be attached or bound by birth, allegiance, or dependency
—usually used with to
they belong to their homeland
c
: to be a member of a club, organization, or set
—usually used with to
she belongs to a country club
3
: to be an attribute, part, adjunct, or function of a person or thing
nuts and bolts belong to a car
4
: to be properly classified
Examples of belong in a Sentence
She was here for 15 years, but she never really belonged.
your shoes belong in the closet, not in the middle of the living room where people will trip on them
Recent Examples on the Web
That, after a career of trying to carve out his own legacy, is why Aidan belongs at Long Beach State.
—
Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2024
Owen, an introvert who craves a feeling of belonging, riskily imagines himself into the series—which inspires the rebellious Maddy to take reckless action.
—The New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2024
To brush up on what belongs in your recycling bin, review our guide to common recycling mistakes in the metro and learn more about how recycling facilities actually work.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024
Teachers are encouraged to increase the cultural relevance of their classes and foster a sense of belonging among students.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 18 Apr. 2024
The Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life issued the decree placing the oversight of the monastery with The Association of Christ the King, the association to which the Arlington Carmelites belong.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2024
Melissa Elizabeth Lucio has been on death row for 15 years, but the judge who oversaw her trial, as well as prosecutors and her defense lawyers, now all agree: the mother of 12 children does not belong there.
—Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
And the nation’s largest national park, Wrangell-St. Elias (No. 8) belongs on any bucket list.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024
Perhaps Ladson and Moultrie belong in the above (decent) category.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024
Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2024
Owen, an introvert who craves a feeling of belonging, riskily imagines himself into the series—which inspires the rebellious Maddy to take reckless action.
—The New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2024
To brush up on what belongs in your recycling bin, review our guide to common recycling mistakes in the metro and learn more about how recycling facilities actually work.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2024
Teachers are encouraged to increase the cultural relevance of their classes and foster a sense of belonging among students.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 18 Apr. 2024
The Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life issued the decree placing the oversight of the monastery with The Association of Christ the King, the association to which the Arlington Carmelites belong.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2024
Melissa Elizabeth Lucio has been on death row for 15 years, but the judge who oversaw her trial, as well as prosecutors and her defense lawyers, now all agree: the mother of 12 children does not belong there.
—Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
And the nation’s largest national park, Wrangell-St. Elias (No. 8) belongs on any bucket list.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024
Perhaps Ladson and Moultrie belong in the above (decent) category.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'belong.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near belong
Cite this Entry
“Belong.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belong. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
belong
verb
be·long
bi-ˈlȯŋ 
1
: to be in a proper place
this book belongs on the top shelf
2
a
: to be the property of a person or group of persons
the watch belongs to me
b
: to be a member
belongs to our club
3
: to be a part of : be connected with : go with
the parts belonging to the clock
4
: to be classified
whales belong among the mammals
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