belong
Americanverb (used without object)
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belongs,
present (3rd person singular)
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belonged,
past participle, past
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belonging
present participle
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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:
However, other properties are seen in the couple’s social media posts, although it’s unclear whether these belong to Pratt and Schwarzenegger or are instead the homes of their friends and loved ones.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
The move signaled these aren’t core items that belong in a recurring earnings stream.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
For several minutes, I belong to the beach and to no particular party.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
Under slightly different circumstances, it’s a storyline that could belong to her “Shrinking” character, Gaby Evans, a therapist who brings her sunny demeanor, audacious sense of humor and enviable stores of energy into every room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
“I don’t have anyone. I belong with my sister.”
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Ahead of his address, the pope will visit an exhibition dedicated to St Augustine, the influential fifth-century Christian theologian who laid the foundations for the 13th century Augustinian order to which Leo belongs.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Instead, Damascus belongs to Ahmed al-Sharaa, a Sunni leader and former commander of al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, who had fought Hezbollah for years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
“It belongs in the hands of the people, because it’s too valuable to cut up and develop.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
The unusual combination of traits raises the possibility that the fossil belongs to a species that has not yet been described.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
Do you know what Native nation it belongs to?
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
The defense claimed that kidney test evidence produced at the trial belonged to Maradona's father, also named Diego, who died in 2015, not the star of the 1986 World Cup.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Within the conference, the biggest area belonged to Olive Young Festa market, which was filled with beauty brands trying to get their name in front of people.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
At first, Cruz wondered whether the unusual bones belonged to an animal that had been sick or injured during its lifetime, which would make them an example of paleopathology.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Piet Buyse, the former longtime mayor of Dendermonde, told Belgian media the gold most likely belonged to the Van Assche family, an old, wealthy Flemish family.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
I could tell by the color that it belonged to one of the guards.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
Media reported a TikTok account belonging to the youth was being investigated.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
"If you build a sense of belonging, naturally and organically, people don't want to leave."
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The judge noted that the associate, Deba Shyam, has had his car and house paid for by Makhijani, who “orchestrated” the use of funds belonging to others for his bail bond.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Those corporate entities had been represented within Guggenheim as belonging to people who were friendly with or in business with Walter, the Journal reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Just seeing him has filled me with a sense of finally belonging to this place.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
