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

"Today's win is for every single person who has been made to feel that their belonging in this country is conditional," Faruqi said outside court.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The discovery depended heavily on artificial intelligence, which allowed the researchers to search through proteins belonging to a group known as prohormones.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

But the lower house's broader approach demanding social media platforms refuse new users under 15 and suspend accounts belonging to children under that age prevailed.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

“A sense of belonging where students feel valued, connected and supported.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Complicating matters, the FBI had just discovered that the hundred-dollar bills found in the burglars’ pockets had all been withdrawn from a bank account belonging to the Committee to Reelect the President.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

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

Oulghazzi fled with his wife and daughter without being able to take their belongings.

From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026

They stood near the common room, wide smiles plastered on their faces as they watched him collect his belongings, he recalled.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Officers searched their home for hours, rifling through personal belongings.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

We packed all our worldly belongings into Nan’s old hatchback on Thursday and were on the road first thing Friday morning.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry