Showing results for "belonging"

• present participle of belong.

belonging

American  

[bih-lawng-ing, -long-] / bɪˈlɔŋ ɪŋ, -ˈlɒŋ- /

noun

• belongings
  plural

1. something that belongs.

2. belongings, possessions; goods; personal effects.

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belonging British  

/ bɪˈlɒŋɪŋ /

noun

1. secure relationship; affinity (esp in the phrase a sense of belonging )

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unbelonging
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• belongings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of belonging

First recorded in 1595–1605; belong + -ing ¹

Explanation

Belonging is a sense of fitting in or feeling like you are an important member of a group. A really close family gives each of its members a strong sense of belonging. When you belong, you are an official part of a group ("She belongs to the French club") or you're compatible with certain people or suited to a specific place ("I just belong in nature"). A feeling of belonging describes this sense of truly fitting or meshing, especially with friends, family members, or other sympathetic folks.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

belonging belongings

Their quarrel was not over whether Arendt belonged to that people, but over what such belonging required of judgment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

In the Tver region, also north of Moscow, a drone hit a logistics centre belonging to Wildberries -- the Russian e-commerce giant heavily targeted over the past month.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

Moreover, the only currencies that have seen their share of reserves meaningfully grow over the past couple of years are smaller rivals belonging to the IMF’s “other currencies” category.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

Schwimmer has spent more than four decades searching for, excavating, and studying fossils belonging to Deinosuchus schwimmeri.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026

Just seeing him has filled me with a sense of finally belonging to this place.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

People have sold personal belongings, like their cars, to afford services that turn out to be bogus, said Christopher Ross, who oversees migration and refugee resettlement services at Catholic Charities USA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Our wills state that, after both of our deaths, these items are to be sold after our children have had the opportunity to address any sentimental belongings.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

Even under the worst kind of duress, they don’t want to flee their homes, their belongings, certainly not their families, despite the threatening burps of Vesuvius.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

"I'm safe, thank you everyone for your concern. But my phone and all my belongings burned... My mind is truly not okay right now," Tik wrote in a Facebook post.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

I don’t know why it’s in Bubbe’s belongings.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler