belong

verb

be·long | \ bi-ˈlȯŋ

, bē-\

belonged; belonging; belongs

Definition of belong

intransitive verb

1a : 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

2a : 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

auxiliary verb

chiefly Southern US and south Midland US : ought, must

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about belong

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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

The groups that coined these terms have all made contributions to our language, which in turn belongs to all of us. — Alec Dent, National Review, "The Natural Evolution of Language Is Not ‘Cultural Appropriation’," 3 Sep. 2019 In the Cuyahoga Valley, that means the Towpath and all roads, which belong to local communities. — Grant Segall, cleveland.com, "Cuyahoga Valley National Park touts e-bikes’ debut in national parks," 3 Sep. 2019 While union membership peaked in 1979 when nearly 21 million were members, the percentage of workers who belonged to unions actually hit a high of 28.3% of all those employed in 1954, according to the Congressional Research Service. — Mike Snider, USA TODAY, "Labor Day 2019: A closeup look at the U.S. work force as holiday arrives," 2 Sep. 2019 Every day, in conflicts large and small, the same question gets asked: Who belongs here? — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Brit to HOA: ‘The flag is absolutely not coming down’," 1 Sep. 2019 Best unit: Dolphins receivers Preston Williams’ emergence as a playmaker means the Dolphins have seven receivers who belong on an NFL roster. — Omar Kelly, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Kelly: Here’s a look at the Miami Dolphins’ highs and lows from training camp and preseason | Commentary," 1 Sep. 2019 The guilty plea meant that Davis, who belonged to the extremist group League of the South, acknowledged prosecutors had sufficient evidence to convict him if the case had gone to trial. — Ian Shapira, Washington Post, "Fourth attacker sentenced in Charlottesville parking garage beating of black man," 27 Aug. 2019 The video shows the aircraft — which belonged to pilot David Lesh who was flying with his friend Kayla, CNN reported Wednesday — falling through the air and landing in the water. — Ashley Boucher, PEOPLE.com, "Plane's Engine Fails and Its Emergency Landing in the Ocean Was Caught on Camera," 21 Aug. 2019 Strauss worked from a German translation by the poet Hedwig Lachmann, who belonged to socialist-anarchist circles in Berlin. — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, "The Endless, Grisly Fascination of Richard Strauss’s “Salome”," 21 Aug. 2019

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.