pertains

verb

present tense third-person singular of pertain
1
as in belongs
to be the property of a person or group of persons the belief that quality medical care is a right that pertains to everyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in relates
to have a relation or connection a person who is an expert in anything pertaining to the history of the American theater

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 pertains And now, the newest update about Hilton’s situation pertains to his finances. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026 The same philosophy pertains to decor items that may look cute but do not serve a clear function, Ruiz adds. — Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 16 Sep. 2026 The statute pertains to the arrest of someone who is wanted in another state. — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026 There is no similar law that pertains to private school operators in Wisconsin. — Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 17 Aug. 2026 That pertains with or without the presence of breast milk, the TSA specifies. — Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 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 The arguments stem from a pretrial motion in which Judge Weeks directed that testimony be limited to only what pertains to the charge at hand, involving the retaliation against James Saulter. — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pertains
  1. belongs
  2. relates
  3. applies
  4. refers
Verb
  • An agent that confidently approves the wrong payment, escalates an unstable interaction or quietly talks a user into a bad decision belongs in a different category.
    — Puneet Gaur, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Overheard Giving young people the understanding and choice to decide where tech belongs in their lives, and enough agency to shape what comes next, is a reason to have hope.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of belongs
Verb
  • Most of the funding gap relates specifically to weapons purchases, Zelensky said, and future financing for Ukraine could come in the form of deals for sharing technology and joint drone production.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • And then Mowbray relates some personal evidence of what has not changed — Middlesbrough’s attachment to football.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of relates
Verb
  • These histories can be claimed for any site-specific artwork located in an outdoor setting, though their relevance applies differently from one example to another.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But again, this only applies if your flight is delayed by more than by more than three hours domestically or six hours internationally.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of applies
Verb
  • Total testosterone is the entire amount of testosterone circulating in the body, both bound and unbound to proteins and is biologically active, while free testosterone refers only to the hormone not bound to proteins and is biologically active.
    — Luis Martinez, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The title refers not only to the horror film my protagonist, Maya, is trying to make, but also to the city’s new masters and to those living in a zombified state of willful ignorance.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of refers

Browse Nearby Words

pertaining (to)
pertains
pertains (to)
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Cite this Entry

“Pertains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pertains. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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