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Definition of pertain
intransitive verb
1a (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 fatherhoodb : to be appropriate to something which rule pertains?
2 : to have reference books pertaining to birds
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pertain was our Word of the Day on 05/25/2013. Hear the podcast!
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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 of pertain from the Web
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Anyone with information pertaining to the case is asked to call the Elk Grove Police Department Communication Center at 916-714-5115 or Crime Stoppers at 916-443-4357.
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That rule requires that everything in the bill pertain directly to the federal budget.
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Question: Our HOA’s website, which was created and controlled by the management company, houses a treasure trove of documents and information pertaining to our association and its members.
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Kaplan said the EPA has reviewed the documents pertaining to the demolition and had their engineers submit comments.
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The shortfall for states combined is projected to be 2.6 percent of their GDP, according to data from the Reserve Bank of India based on information pertaining to 25 states.
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Regarding Mr. Sanborn’s suggestion that the massive destruction conveniently destroyed records pertaining to corruption and waste in the Department of Defense, who knows?
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The sanctions, which pertain to more than three dozen individuals and organizations involved in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, were announced Tuesday as President Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to the White House.
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Entrants agree to be bound by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of Sponsor, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Sweepstakes.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pertain'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Pertain comes to us 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, obtain, maintain, 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 among the exceptions. And a few tenēre words don't follow the usual pattern: tenacious and tenure are two.
Origin and Etymology of pertain
Middle English perteinen, from Anglo-French partenir, purteiner, from Latin pertinēre to reach to, belong, from per- through + tenēre to hold — more at thin
PERTAIN Defined for English Language Learners
pertain
playDefinition of pertain for English Language Learners
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: to relate to someone or something : to have a connection to a person or thing
PERTAIN Defined for Kids
pertain
playDefinition of pertain for Students
pertained
;pertaining
1 : to relate to a person or thing The laws pertain to hunting.
2 : to belong to as a part, quality, or function These duties pertain to the office of sheriff.
Learn More about pertain
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See words that rhyme with pertain Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pertain Spanish Central: Translation of pertain Nglish: Translation of pertain for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of pertain for Arabic speakers
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