belonging

American  

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

noun

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

• unbelonging adjective

Etymology

Origin of belonging

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

Example Sentences

BBC show The Repair Shop scrapped a segment that was set to feature a joke book belonging to late comedian Bob Monkhouse after the contents were deemed inappropriate.

From BBC

"Their temporary closure or mothball can feel like it diminishes a sense of belonging and local pride to a small rural community which has historically had a local school," it added.

From BBC

In the country's hard-hit west, residents waded through flood waters with their belongings on their heads and evacuated in crowded boats, AFP reporters saw.

From Barron's

With her belongings delayed, Hodgkinson was forced to complete her preparations in somebody else's spikes, which ended up giving her a blister.

From BBC

When I wrote about the nomadic life in The Wall Street Journal in 2017, I mentioned some of the downsides of continuous travel, like precarious finances and not belonging anywhere.

From The Wall Street Journal