belonging

noun

be·​long·​ing bi-ˈlȯŋ-iŋ How to pronounce belonging (audio)
bē-
1
: possession
usually used in plural
2
: close or intimate relationship
a sense of belonging
belongingness noun

Examples of belonging in a Sentence

the warm welcome they received from the community gave them a sense of belonging packed up all their belongings and moved across the country
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.
As my family began the tender process of sorting through her belongings, my mom mailed me an Easter basket of goodies. Jailynn Taylor, Essence, 11 June 2025 The video released Monday appears to have been recovered by the Israeli military from the belongings of Palestinian militants, according to the watermark on the video. Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 9 June 2025 Each packing cube is designed to keep your belongings organized by separating clothes, shoes, and toiletries into neat compartments, which makes accessing your belongings easy and even fun. Nicol Natale, People.com, 9 June 2025 By taking these assumptions and beliefs about hair’s relationship to the body seriously, this book reveals how nineteenth-century Americans came to understand their hair as a body part capable of indexing each person’s race, gender, and national belonging. Literary Hub, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for belonging

Word History

First Known Use

1781, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of belonging was in 1781

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Cite this Entry

“Belonging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belonging. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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