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 among the exceptions. And a few tenēre words don't follow the usual pattern: tenacious and tenure are two.

Synonyms

• appertain
• 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

Common things to look for as evidence include: Typos: common errors on appraisals pertaining to details about your house, square footage, year built, or number of beds and bath could automatically translate to money in your pocket. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2024

Furthermore, Fancourt rejected Harry’s efforts to expand the scope of the lawsuit to include new bugging or unlawful information-gathering allegations pertaining to articles written in 1994 and 1995 about Princess Diana and in 2016 about his burgeoning relationship with Markle. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 21 May 2024

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)

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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