belonging

noun

be·long·ing | \ bi-ˈlȯŋ-iŋ,

bē-\

Definition of belonging

1 : possession —usually used in plural

2 : close or intimate relationship a sense of belonging

Other Words from belonging Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about belonging

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Examples of belonging in a Sentence

her adoptive family gave the young girl a sense of belonging that she had never felt before packed up all their belongings and moved across the country

Recent Examples on the Web

For instance, Ruth uses chess pieces scattered about the house to anchor her in reality, a detail inspired by Shaw and his sister going through their mother's belongings and recognizing the talisman-like nature of a loved one's personal effects. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "TV Technica 2018: Our favorite shows and binges," 24 Dec. 2018 One of the vehicle's occupants then got out of the car, pointed a gun, and demanded the group’s belongings, police said. — Bradford Betz, Fox News, "Young father dies weeks after armed robbery; teen suspect likely to face murder charge, police say," 22 July 2018 Since Sintay’s outburst, the community has come together to replace Drew’s belongings. — Niki Mcgloster, Essence.com, "White Man Arrested After Throwing Black Homeless Man’s Belongings In Lake," 13 June 2018 Matt Nelson, a community organizer, saw Sintay pulling some of Drew’s belongings from the lake and began streaming on Facebook Live with his phone. — Breanna Edwards, The Root, "White Man Who Trashed Homeless Black Man’s Belongings Arrested on Suspicion of 1st-Degree Robbery," 13 June 2018 Drummond tried to run away with the date’s belongings, prosecutors said. — Jared Gilmour, miamiherald, "Prosecutors said he pistol-whipped his date. He gave them a poop envelope in court, Pa. DA says," 12 June 2018 The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office reported that some of Camiso’s belongings had been found on May 11. — Jason Nark, Philly.com, "South Jersey man on 'journey of a lifetime' drowns in Maine," 25 May 2018 Many others in Greensboro suffered damage to their homes and lost belongings in the tornado. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, "Pastor searches for owner of wedding dress lost in tornado," 6 May 2018 But just as Saturday evening’s game came into view, a clubhouse attendant finally began removing Harvey’s belongings. — New York Times, "Mets Get a Boost From Matz. Alas, It Doesn’t Matter.," 5 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'belonging.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Statistics for belonging

Last Updated

13 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for belonging

The first known use of belonging was in 1781

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