pertain

American  

[per-teyn] / pərˈteɪn /

verb (used without object)

• pertains,
  present (3rd person singular)
• pertained,
  past participle,  past
• pertaining
  present participle

1. to have reference or relation; relate.

   documents pertaining to the lawsuit.

2. to belong or be connected as a part, adjunct, possession, or attribute.

3. to belong properly or fittingly; be appropriate.

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pertain British  

/ pəˈteɪn /

verb

1. to have reference, relation, or relevance

   issues pertaining to women

2. to be appropriate

   the product pertains to real user needs

3. to belong (to) or be a part (of); be an adjunct, attribute, or accessory (of)

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• pertaining
  present
• pertained
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• pertain
  simple
• pertains
  simple
• have pertained
  perfect
• has pertained
  perfect
• am pertaining
  progressive
• are pertaining
  progressive
• is pertaining
  progressive
• have been pertaining
  perfect progressive
• has been pertaining
  perfect progressive

Past

• pertained
  simple
• had pertained
  perfect
• was pertaining
  progressive
• were pertaining
  progressive
• had been pertaining
  perfect progressive

Future

• will pertain
  simple
• will have pertained
  perfect
• will be pertaining
  progressive
• will have been pertaining
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of pertain

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English pertenen, partenen, perteinen, from Middle French partein-, stem of partenir, from Latin pertinēre “to be applicable,” literally, “to hold through, reach,” equivalent to per- per- + -tinēre, combining form of tenēre “to hold”

Explanation

To pertain is to be relevant or somehow associated with something. If you're a lawyer, you try to find evidence that will pertain to the case and eliminate anything that is not connected. Behind the verb pertain lies the Latin verb pertinēre, which means "to be applicable" or "to hold through." If you think the rules of the road don't pertain to you, try explaining that to the state trooper when you get pulled over. Usage note: The word pertain often takes an s at the end, as in "That pertains to this matter," but loses it with a helper: “That doesn’t pertain to it.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pertain pertains pertained pertaining

Those operations may pertain more to recovering material from the location than trying to rebuild its capabilities, experts outside government said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

The proposed changes pertain to a 2023 rule designed to tamp down NOx -- shorthand for nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide -- from truck tailpipes, beginning with model year 2027.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

All of these estate-planning documents pertain to adults over the age of 18, so Trust & Will’s survey starts with Generation Z, whose members are now between the ages of 16 and 29.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 14, 2026

Budget reconciliation is governed by strict rules, enforced by a strict parliamentarian, requiring that reconciliation items pertain to taxes and spending.

From Slate ● Mar. 24, 2026

So I sit at the table in the kitchen and practice new vocabulary, purposely saying out loud the words that pertain to cooking.

From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson

In “Lifelines,” this pertains to biodiversity as well as human languages and kinds of knowledge, such as indigenous heritage, that are also endangered.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Starting next month, the law will prohibit the sale of any food product that isn’t labeled with either phrase — this pertains to products manufactured on or after July 1, 2026.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

Gambetta emphasized that the announcement purely pertains to research, as the real challenge lies in producing chips at scale.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

An aspect that’s similar between Bertei’s accounts and Andy Beta’s storytelling about Alice Coltrane is that Bertei is unflinchingly honest but does not offer judgment unless it pertains to herself.

From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2026

I studied the floor and mumbled, “The analysis of how something about the census something interacts with the something and pertains to something.”

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen

The emails pertained to legal advice regarding compliance with a nonprosecution agreement and legal strategy related to a case that victims brought to challenge that deal, among other things, according to the summaries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026

Every other question during the 45 minutes the agent stood onstage pertained to the hiring process or what we could expect in training.

From Slate ● Jan. 13, 2026

Most of these concerns pertained to last year, too, yet the market rose.

From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026

Now, 11 days after the attack, it has conceded that some data has been impacted but declined to say exactly who the information pertained to, such as customers, suppliers or JLR itself.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2025

Before I went to college, I packed the boxes that pertained to my foster care history.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

She asked to receive copies of communications between reporters and university employees pertaining to herself and to Belichick.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

The lawyers' letter stated that the report was "the product of an in-depth journalistic investigations and is based on sources pertaining to an issue of paramount public importance".

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

What Bessent didn’t offer was a concrete framework for how those principles should translate into specific investment decisions and guardrails pertaining to them.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

Pacific Reign referred questions pertaining to Ohashi to the same agency.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

The choir was summoned and sang a modern arrangement of “Onward, Christian Soldiers,” with new words pertaining to graduates seeking their place in the world.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

Related Words

• apply
• refer
• relate