Definition of belong
intransitive verb
1a : to be suitable, appropriate, or advantageous a dictionary belongs in every homeb : to be in a proper situation a man of his ability belongs in teaching
2a : to be the property of a person or thing —used with to the book belongs to meb : to be attached or bound by birth, allegiance, or dependency —usually used with to they belong to their homelandc : 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
auxiliary verb
From the M-W Editors
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 of belong from the Web
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The report seen by The Associated Press says the vehicle belonging to the Rural Patrol Border Unit in Mangai in southern Kenya had been going to refuel when the bomb exploded.
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In a surprisingly sloppy piece of work for a court that sometimes debates the placement of a comma, the court clerk’s office determined that the New York notice was talking about the same Sullivan who belongs to the high court bar.
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Ferrand’s case involves his time as director general of the Mutuelles de Bretagne, which in 2011 rented commercial spaces from a real estate company belonging to Ferrand’s partner.
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The factories belong to Huajian International, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of women’s shoes.
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For instance, the grounds and the mansion at the entrance of Arlington once belonged to Robert E. Lee’s wife.
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Detectives learned that Morgan is the father of a baby belonging to one of the sisters.
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Not having her own yearbook didn't prevent Graziano from signing several belonging to friends.
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Not to put too fine a point on it, but Greg Gianforte is a thug who belongs in an orange jumpsuit and leg irons.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'belong'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
BELONG Defined for English Language Learners
belong
playDefinition of belong for English Language Learners
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—used to say that someone or something should be in a particular place or situation
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: to be accepted and liked by the other people in a group
BELONG Defined for Kids
belong
playDefinition of belong for Students
belonged
;belonging
1 : to be in a proper place This book belongs on the top shelf.
2 : to be the property of a person or group of persons The money belongs to me.
3 : to be a part of : be connected with : go with These pieces belong to that game.
Learn More about belong
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See words that rhyme with belong Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for belong Spanish Central: Translation of belong Nglish: Translation of belong for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of belong for Arabic speakers
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