pertain
Americanverb (used without object)
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pertains,
present (3rd person singular)
-
pertained,
past participle, past
-
pertaining
present participle
-
to have reference or relation; relate.
documents pertaining to the lawsuit.
-
to belong or be connected as a part, adjunct, possession, or attribute.
-
to belong properly or fittingly; be appropriate.
verb
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to have reference, relation, or relevance
issues pertaining to women
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to be appropriate
the product pertains to real user needs
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to belong (to) or be a part (of); be an adjunct, attribute, or accessory (of)
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pertainsimple
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pertainssimple
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have pertainedperfect
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has pertainedperfect
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am pertainingprogressive
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are pertainingprogressive
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is pertainingprogressive
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have been pertainingperfect progressive
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has been pertainingperfect progressive
Past
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pertainedsimple
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had pertainedperfect
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was pertainingprogressive
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were pertainingprogressive
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had been pertainingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pertain
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English pertenen, partenen, perteinen, from Middle French partein-, stem of partenir, from Latin pertinēre “to be applicable,” literally, “to hold through, reach,” equivalent to per- per- + -tinēre, combining form of tenēre “to hold”
Explanation
To pertain is to be relevant or somehow associated with something. If you're a lawyer, you try to find evidence that will pertain to the case and eliminate anything that is not connected. Behind the verb pertain lies the Latin verb pertinēre, which means "to be applicable" or "to hold through." If you think the rules of the road don't pertain to you, try explaining that to the state trooper when you get pulled over. Usage note: The word pertain often takes an s at the end, as in "That pertains to this matter," but loses it with a helper: “That doesn’t pertain to it.”
Vocabulary lists containing pertain
Vocabulary from the Magna Carta on its 800th Anniversary
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Stamped
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Merle Haggard (1937-2016) Tribute List
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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:
Those operations may pertain more to recovering material from the location than trying to rebuild its capabilities, experts outside government said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
The proposed changes pertain to a 2023 rule designed to tamp down NOx -- shorthand for nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide -- from truck tailpipes, beginning with model year 2027.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
All of these estate-planning documents pertain to adults over the age of 18, so Trust & Will’s survey starts with Generation Z, whose members are now between the ages of 16 and 29.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 14, 2026
Budget reconciliation is governed by strict rules, enforced by a strict parliamentarian, requiring that reconciliation items pertain to taxes and spending.
From Slate ● Mar. 24, 2026
The individual sentences are clear enough, and they obviously pertain to a single topic.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
In “Lifelines,” this pertains to biodiversity as well as human languages and kinds of knowledge, such as indigenous heritage, that are also endangered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Gambetta emphasized that the announcement purely pertains to research, as the real challenge lies in producing chips at scale.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
One of the biggest problems with the term “microdosing,” as it pertains to GLP-1s, Levy says, is that it’s “vague,” and there’s no consensus on what it’s referring to.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
An aspect that’s similar between Bertei’s accounts and Andy Beta’s storytelling about Alice Coltrane is that Bertei is unflinchingly honest but does not offer judgment unless it pertains to herself.
From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2026
Like most people in the Midwest, Embryo doesn’t believe in humor, especially when it pertains to sensitive subjects.
From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven
Federal prosecutors in the state capital of Sacramento were handling the investigations, one of which pertained to Newsom's wife's taxes, and another related to Newsom's former chief of staff, the individual said.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
The emails pertained to legal advice regarding compliance with a nonprosecution agreement and legal strategy related to a case that victims brought to challenge that deal, among other things, according to the summaries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
Most of these concerns pertained to last year, too, yet the market rose.
From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026
In the wake of the Lakers’ trade for Luka Doncic late Saturday night, the immediate fallout pertained to LeBron James and his future with the organization.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2025
Her mom had a lot of rules, but most of them pertained to study habits.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
The agency "does not divulge protected, sensitive, or classified information pertaining to the termination of legal status of foreign nationals", state department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
The Academies claims its report is “relevant to policy and legal decisions pertaining to climate change and liability for losses sustained as a result of extreme weather and climate events.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Pitt’s legal team previously attempted to depose Stoli executive Alexey Oliynik in 2025, claiming that he had relevant information pertaining to the Jolie deal.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
In turn, the governor has demanded that the Department of Justice release all records pertaining to the probe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
For by now, he’s come to hate questions pertaining to his name, hates having constantly to explain.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
