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

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

The team analyzed mitochondrial genomes from preserved crocodiles belonging to the genus Crocodylus, including rare samples from the Seychelles population that vanished roughly 200 years ago.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

“Everybody has a need for significance and belonging and purpose in their life,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

The emergency started Thursday, when the fire department responded to a vapor leak from a 34,000-gallon tank at a Garden Grove, Calif., plant belonging to GKN Aerospace, a British maker of jet parts.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

Property belonging to the company was recently located in a storage facility in Rome, owned by a former director, the latest administrators' report said.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

It was through his collaboration with other scientists that Pascal came to have the sense of belonging to a collectivity greater than himself.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton