belong

play

verb be·long \bi-ˈlȯŋ, bē-\

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
chiefly Southern US and south Midland US : ought, must

See belong defined for English-language learners

See belong defined for kids

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

Bruschetta toppings are updated on a blackboard, and really, who’s going to argue that a chili crab cake hardly belongs on a Cal-Med menu?

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Los Angeles Magazine Hot Restaurant List for July 2017," 18 July 2017
In fact, the voice belonged to another Rwandan officer at the back of the plane.

— The Economist, "Paul Kagame, feted and feared," 13 July 2017
Between 1917 and 1921, houses in Chicago that belonged to a black person, a banker who loaned a black family their mortgage, or a real estate agent who sold a black family their property were bombed at a rate of once every twenty days.

— lincoln anthony blades, Teen Vogue, "Trump's Obsession With Chicago, Explained," 6 July 2017
The frozen assets belonged to Mr. Jia, his wife, and three LeEco affiliates, the state news agency Xinhua reported, citing court documents.

— ryan mcmorrow and owen guo, New York Times, "Court Freezes $182 Million in Assets of Chinese Internet Tycoon," 4 July 2017
During their search, officers found suspected Viagra and oxycodone in an office and marijuana in an employee locker that police believe belonged to the female dancer, Lynch said.

— becky jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Excise police arrest woman for prostitution, find drugs at Gary adult bookstore," 3 July 2017
The world record belongs to Joey Chestnut, who ate 73.5 hot dogs at a qualifying contest in 2016.

— alicia fabbre, Daily Southtown, "Crestwood man attempts to win hot dog contest," 3 July 2017
The biggest rose bush, however, belongs to a couple in a place not necessarily known for its beauty.

— CBS News, "Tombstone's Shady Lady," 2 July 2017
Now, tribes who came to Benghazi in recent decades from its rural environs accused them of not belonging.

— frederic wehrey, The Atlantic, "'Whoever Controls Benghazi Controls Libya'," 1 July 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of belong

Middle English belongen, from be- be- + longen “to be suitable” — more at ⁵long

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

BELONG Defined for English Language Learners

belong

play

verb

Definition of belong for English Language Learners

—used to say that someone or something should be in a particular place or situation
: to be accepted and liked by the other people in a group

BELONG Defined for Kids

belong

play

verb be·long \bə-ˈlȯŋ\

Definition 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.