pertain

verb

per·​tain pər-ˈtān 

pertained; pertaining; pertains

intransitive verb

1

a(1)

: to belong as a part, member, accessory, or product

(2)

: to belong as an attribute, feature, or function

the destruction pertaining to war

(3)

: to belong as a duty or right

rights that pertain to fatherhood

b

: to be appropriate to something

which rule pertains?

2

: to have reference

books pertaining to birds

Did you know?

Pertain comes to English via Anglo-French from the Latin verb pertinēre, meaning "to reach to" or "to belong." Pertinēre, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix per- (meaning "through") and tenēre ("to hold"). Tenēre is a popular root in English words and often manifests with the -tain spelling that can be seen in pertain. Other descendants include abstain, contain, detain, maintain, obtain, retain, and sustain, to name a few of the more common ones. Not every -tain word has tenēre in its ancestry, though. Ascertain, attain, and certain are certainly exceptions. And a few tenēre words don't follow the usual pattern: tenacious and tenure are two.

Synonyms of pertain

• belong

Examples of pertain in a Sentence

books pertaining to the country's history

the belief that quality medical care is a right that pertains to everyone

Recent Examples on the Web

That pertains with or without the presence of breast milk, the TSA specifies. — Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026

The senator recently released more than 1,000 pages of Fauci’s personal records, including his pandemic-era diary, and several batches of documents pertaining to the origins of the coronavirus. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 29 July 2026

There are examples of this sort of thing across college athletics, where players try to avoid paying a buyout that pertains to their previous school. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026

But the pardon pertains to acts from 2014 through the end of the Biden administration. — Helen Branswell, STAT, 29 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English perteinen, from Anglo-French partenir, purteiner, from Latin pertinēre to reach to, belong, from per- through + tenēre to hold — more at thin

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for pertain

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign

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Kids Definition

pertain

verb

per·​tain pər-ˈtān 

1

: to belong to a person or thing as a part, quality, or function

duties that pertain to an office

2

: to have reference

books pertaining to birds