belong
Americanverb (used without object)
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to be in the relation of a member, adherent, inhabitant, etc. (usually followed byto ).
He belongs to the Knights of Columbus.
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to have the proper qualifications, especially social qualifications, to be a member of a group.
You don't belong in this club.
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to be proper or due; be properly or appropriately placed, situated, etc..
Books belong in every home. This belongs on the shelf. He is a statesman who belongs among the great.
verb phrase
verb
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(foll by to) to be the property or possession (of)
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(foll by to) to be bound to (a person, place, or club) by ties of affection, dependence, allegiance, or membership
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to be classified (with)
this plant belongs to the daisy family
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(foll by to) to be a part or adjunct (of)
this top belongs to the smaller box
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to have a proper or usual place
that plate belongs in the cupboard
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informal to be suitable or acceptable, esp socially
although they were rich, they just didn't belong
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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belongsimple
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belongssimple
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have belongedperfect
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has belongedperfect
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am belongingprogressive
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are belongingprogressive
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is belongingprogressive
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have been belongingperfect progressive
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has been belongingperfect progressive
Past
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belongedsimple
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had belongedperfect
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was belongingprogressive
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were belongingprogressive
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had been belongingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of belong
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English belongen, from be- be- + longen “to belong,” verb derivative of long (adjective), Old English gelang “belonging to, dependent on”; cf. along ( def. ), long 3 ( def. )
Explanation
Things that belong to you are your property — in other words, you own them. Your prized rock collection belongs to you. There are several ways to use the verb belong. Items you buy or that are given to you belong to you. You also belong to a group of friends — you fit in, or are a member. When you feel at home somewhere, as though you're meant to be there, you also belong: "I belong in a big city!" The 14th century meaning of belong was "to go along with," from be- and longen, "to go."
Vocabulary lists containing belong
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"The next 15 to 20 years belong to Lamine, if he wants."
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
By law, no more than two commissioners may belong to the same political party.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
EU sports chief Glenn Micallef said such decisions "belong to sporting bodies, not politicians."
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
"Our study suggests insects may belong in that conversation too."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 3, 2026
‘What do you mean? The Forest doesn’t belong to anyone -‘ ‘It does now,’ snapped the young man.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
"Spain belongs to those who love it and work for it. Not to those who shame it with xenophobic statements."
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
But the film belongs to Cuba Gooding Jr. as an NFL wide receiver with a simple request: “Show me the money.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
"You see the way he conducts himself and the way he walks - it is like he belongs there."
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Another remarkable thing about orforglipron is that it belongs to a new category of drugs called small-molecule drugs.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026
“We will note your marvel and the Paragon it belongs to, then you'll go join your new family.”
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
At the time of the tragedy, Autostrade belonged to the Atlantia group, controlled by the wealthy Benetton family, but faced with popular indignation the family subsequently gave up its stake to the state.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Remember when the biggest Emmy question about “The Bear” revolved around whether it belonged in the comedy categories?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Most of the remains belonged to rodents, but researchers also recovered fossils from sloths, birds, reptiles, and many other animals, representing more than 50 species.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
It was proof, on the biggest stage available, that she belonged there.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
Half-heartedly, I try holding a few other items that belonged to Dad as a kid: a baseball glove, a model airplane, a postcard from my mom.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
That same evening, Khalife called Khan using a phone belonging to a member of the public and they spoke for around a minute, the prosecution added.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
The small open spaces of the La Lucha neighborhood are filled with tents belonging to residents anxiously awaiting government repairs to their homes.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
What makes an influencer decide to trademark a phrase that people recognize as belonging to the internet?
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
Researchers identified bones there belonging to at least twelve Neanderthals.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 7, 2026
From the lonely coldness of his uncle’s house he’d found love and belonging on the seas.
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
