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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.
Examples of pertain in a Sentence
Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 5 Apr. 2026
All four charges are third-degree felonies and pertain to events in October 2022 and September 2023, according to court documents.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
But when later asked about Mecklenburg County’s denial of public records pertaining to the death of 6-year-old Dominique Moody in December, Merriweather declined to comment.
—Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
The Constitution vests the administration of elections in the states, though Congress can pass laws pertaining to elections.
—Garrett Downs, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pertain
Cite this Entry
“Pertain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pertain. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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pertain
verb
