pertain
Americanverb (used without object)
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to have reference or relation; relate.
documents pertaining to the lawsuit.
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to belong or be connected as a part, adjunct, possession, or attribute.
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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)
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”
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.
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
Yet the most haunting contested claim of Moy’s life did not pertain to music.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
Already, the state has filed or joined nearly 50 legal actions against the current administration, at least seven of which pertain to the environment.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2025
Its insights pertain to the complex rules that govern the processes that emerge when millions of synapses undergo plasticity under in vivo conditions -- like in the living brain.
From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2024
Rather, the lessons this life has planted in my heart pertain more to caring than to crops, more to Golden Rule than gold, more to the proper choice than to the popular choice.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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.
