belonged; belonging; belongs
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
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 frontier myth—and its core belief that the West belonged only to white Americans—had become a national ideology by the 1880s and ’90s, ushering in an age of oppression and migration restriction.
—
Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Despite the Reina Sofía’s many refusals to lend the work to various institutions around the world, its rebuff of the Guggenheim’s request carries a particular sting because the Basque Country has long held that the painting belongs in the place where the depicted tragedy occurred.
—News Desk, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2026
Maybe your kids’ toys belong in a basket, for instance.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 1 Apr. 2026
That push is feeding debate on whether those potentially risky assets belong in retirement accounts.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for belong
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Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Despite the Reina Sofía’s many refusals to lend the work to various institutions around the world, its rebuff of the Guggenheim’s request carries a particular sting because the Basque Country has long held that the painting belongs in the place where the depicted tragedy occurred.
—News Desk, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2026
Maybe your kids’ toys belong in a basket, for instance.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 1 Apr. 2026
That push is feeding debate on whether those potentially risky assets belong in retirement accounts.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for belong
Cite this Entry
“Belong.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belong. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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