belong

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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

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.

— tom odula | ap, Washington Post, "5 Kenyan police officers killed in bombing, report says", 31 May 2017
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.

— mark sherman, The Seattle Times, "Supreme Court suspends wrong lawyer over ‘mistaken identity’", 30 May 2017
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.

— gregory viscusi, Bloomberg.com, "Macron's Clean Image Tested as Two Ministers Come Under Fire", 30 May 2017
The factories belong to Huajian International, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of women’s shoes.

— keith bradsher, New York Times, "China Detains Activist Who Worked at Manufacturer of Ivanka Trump Shoes", 30 May 2017
For instance, the grounds and the mansion at the entrance of Arlington once belonged to Robert E. Lee’s wife.

— jon schwarz, The Intercept, "We Need Memorial Day to Obscure the Unbearable Truth About War", 29 May 2017
Detectives learned that Morgan is the father of a baby belonging to one of the sisters.

— carol robinson, AL.com, "Accused shooter in Irondale killing now behind bars", 28 May 2017
Not having her own yearbook didn't prevent Graziano from signing several belonging to friends.

— chuck fieldman, chicagotribune.com, "Yearbooks a hit with Lyons Township students", 25 May 2017
Not to put too fine a point on it, but Greg Gianforte is a thug who belongs in an orange jumpsuit and leg irons.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "The Ben Jacobs 'Body Slam' Was Not an Isolated Incident", 25 May 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

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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.