pertain

verb

per·​tain pər-ˈtān 

pertained; pertaining; pertains

intransitive verb

1

a(1)

: to belong as a part, member, accessory, or product

(2)

: to belong as an attribute, feature, or function

the destruction pertaining to war

(3)

: to belong as a duty or right

rights that pertain to fatherhood

b

: to be appropriate to something

which rule pertains?

2

: to have reference

books pertaining to birds

Did you know?

Pertain comes to English via Anglo-French from the Latin verb pertinēre, meaning "to reach to" or "to belong." Pertinēre, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix per- (meaning "through") and tenēre ("to hold"). Tenēre is a popular root in English words and often manifests with the -tain spelling that can be seen in pertain. Other descendants include abstain, contain, detain, maintain, obtain, retain, and sustain, to name a few of the more common ones. Not every -tain word has tenēre in its ancestry, though. Ascertain, attain, and certain are certainly exceptions. And a few tenēre words don't follow the usual pattern: tenacious and tenure are two.

Synonyms of pertain

• belong

Examples of pertain in a Sentence

books pertaining to the country's history

the belief that quality medical care is a right that pertains to everyone

Recent Examples on the Web

What started in one state court has now spread across the country, with a plethora of athletes filing lawsuits against the NCAA, and now SEC, over new guidelines enacted pertaining to the five-for-five eligibility. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

While sections pertaining to the house itself are both gripping and eerie (rooms flood, tiles rearrange, visions flicker), the real terror comes from human history. — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

To successfully integrate these returnees, Damascus must empower governorates and municipalities with the resources and autonomy to solve problems pertaining to service delivery, job creation, and education in real time. — Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026

Instead, the six conservative justices said in an unsigned opinion that the states had filed their lawsuit too early — before the order had been implemented, or any formal rules pertaining to it had been developed. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English perteinen, from Anglo-French partenir, purteiner, from Latin pertinēre to reach to, belong, from per- through + tenēre to hold — more at thin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Rhymes for pertain

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign

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Kids Definition

pertain

verb

per·​tain pər-ˈtān 

1

: to belong to a person or thing as a part, quality, or function

duties that pertain to an office

2

: to have reference

books pertaining to birds