belonging 1 of 2

belonging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of belong
1
as in staying
to have or be in a usual or proper place your shoes belong in the closet, not in the middle of the living room where people will trip on them

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in pertaining
to be the property of a person or group of persons those textbooks belong to the school system and not to the students

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of belonging
Noun
Eighty Black residents of Portsmouth packed their belongings and headed north, hoping to resettle in a less hostile part of Ohio. Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025 Bags stuffed with Iguaran's belongings leaned against a wall next to the hammock. Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
Psychological science tells us that belonging and optimism are key to well-being. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025 Research shows belonging is the basis for thriving – whether that is student degree completion or employee retention. Christopher Whitt, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for belonging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belonging
Noun
  • Your curiosity leads toward intimacy.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Reviewing the product for The New York Times, the journalist and parent Amanda Hess expressed her surprise at how deftly Grem sought to create connection and intimacy in conversation.
    Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The Mavs have had one of the NBA’s worst offenses, ranking second-to-last in points per possession.
    Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Take, for example, an 18-yard, over-the-middle strike to Nailor on the team’s second possession Sunday.
    Alec Lewis, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The sale includes statement shoes like pink lace-up boots plus cozy designs perfect for staying warm all winter like insulated boat shoes, water-resistant boots, and even waterproof boots for rainy days.
    Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 6 Nov. 2025
  • For events with formalities, like speeches, cake-cutting, or a holiday toast, Hayes advises staying until those key moments are complete.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The homeowner, identified by police as 70-year-old Bonnie Miranda, has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, pertaining to Delemo, police said.
    Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2025
  • The scenario remains hypothetical, strongly dependent on both Stefanik winning the governorship and a determination of official misconduct or other grounds for removal pertaining to Mamdani’s actions as mayor.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • This is where we are collectively called to look at where familiarity and longing are actually a form of confinement.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Waterman is frustrated by the situation at Southland Center, noting the impact the bus stop closure would have on students who rely on their familiarity with specific landmarks to chart their way and for how mall management has reacted to outreach from him and others.
    Eric D. Lawrence, Freep.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Those on nine-month contracts must devote 480 hours to instruction — which can include things like lab work, clinical work and internships in addition to lecture time — over the course of the contract.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Because, in waking life, the truth is that things haven’t been the same since the strain of raising two young kids started to wear on their parents.
    David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The company count included insiders like Musk, who held around a 15% stake in Tesla going into the proxy and was allowed to vote his shares.
    Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 11 Nov. 2025
  • But going into markets relying solely on territory pre-sales alone — once the norm at AFM — is today a rarity, with most packages having some financing already in place to mitigate risk — and jitters.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • In Texas, kids taken into state custody leave a kinship placement twice as often as the nationwide rate, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal data tracking kids removed from their homes in a four-year period.
    Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Murphy, who like Steininger and Yurkevich has been exploring the question for its own sake, independent of his day job, feels a kinship across the centuries with Prince Rupert.
    Erica Klarreich, Quanta Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Belonging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belonging. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on belonging

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!