belong

verb

be·​long bi-ˈlȯŋ 

bē-

belonged; belonging; belongs

intransitive verb

1

a

: 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

2

a

: 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 of belong

• stay
• go

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

Their scripts take on identity, intimacy, masculinity, belonging and personal freedom through love stories, thrillers, horror and dramedies that blend genres. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

The collections showed a dichotomy of heritage meets contemporary life; intimacy meets provocation; belonging intersects with rootlessness, and memories, music, nature, street culture and personal histories become material for visual language. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026

In private markets, where complexity is the norm and deadlines don’t bend, this shortage has become a risk factor that belongs in your due diligence conversations. — Steven Boydstun, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Public discourse teaches children which differences are treated as ordinary, which are treated as suspect and who is allowed to belong without having to explain themselves. — Anahi Collado, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing belong

• belong to

Rhymes for belong

• agung
• along
• birdsong
• furlong
• headlong
• headstrong
• lifelong
• plainsong
• prolong
• sarong
• tanjong
• weeklong

Kids Definition

belong

verb

be·​long bi-ˈlȯŋ 

1

: to be in a proper place

this book belongs on the top shelf

2

a

: to be the property of a person or group of persons

the watch belongs to me

b

: to be a member

belongs to our club

3

: to be a part of : be connected with : go with

the parts belonging to the clock

4

: to be classified

whales belong among the mammals