belong

verb

be·​long bi-ˈlȯŋ 

bē-

belonged; belonging; belongs

intransitive verb

1

a

: to be suitable, appropriate, or advantageous

a dictionary belongs in every home

b

: to be in a proper situation

a man of his ability belongs in teaching

2

a

: to be the property of a person or thing

—used with to

the book belongs to me

b

: to be attached or bound by birth, allegiance, or dependency

—usually used with to

they belong to their homeland

c

: to be a member of a club, organization, or set

—usually used with to

she belongs to a country club

3

: to be an attribute, part, adjunct, or function of a person or thing

nuts and bolts belong to a car

4

: to be properly classified

auxiliary verb

chiefly Southern US and south Midland US : ought, must

Synonyms

• go

Examples of belong in a Sentence

She was here for 15 years, but she never really belonged.

your shoes belong in the closet, not in the middle of the living room where people will trip on them

Recent Examples on the Web

And my husband did not have a life to live anymore because Monique Trucking, LLC—a company with a history of safety violations—chose to hire someone who did not belong behind the wheel of a big rig hauling a dangerous load on our highways. —David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025

The first of her three memoirs, Faithfull, belongs on any short shelf of unmissable rock-and-roll remembrances and pulls no punches—in either the high or low registers. —Corey Seymour, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2025

The Black model remains a powerful and unapologetic celebration of belonging and beauty in familiar and new faces. —Tonya Blazio-Licorish, WWD, 31 Jan. 2025

Much like a typical bite of exposition in a movie, or a play, the nut graph belongs at the start of something, not the finish, lest people become disoriented. —Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English belongen, from be- be- + longen "to be suitable" — more at long entry 5

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing belong

• belong to

Kids Definition

belong

verb

be·​long bi-ˈlȯŋ 

1

: to be in a proper place

this book belongs on the top shelf

2

a

: to be the property of a person or group of persons

the watch belongs to me

b

: to be a member

belongs to our club

3

: to be a part of : be connected with : go with

the parts belonging to the clock

4

: to be classified

whales belong among the mammals