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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. v. To be proper, appropriate, or suitable: A napkin belongs at every place setting.
  2. v. To be in an appropriate situation or environment: That plant belongs outdoors.
  3. v. To be a member of a group, such as a club.
  4. v. To fit into a group naturally: No matter what I did, I just didn't belong.
  5. v. To have in one's possession. Often used with to: "The earth belongs to the living” ( Thomas Jefferson).
  6. v. To be a part of something else: These blades belong to the food processor.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. To go along with anything, or accompany it as an adjunct or attribute; pertain; appertain; be a property (of); be in the power or at the disposal (of).
  2. To be the concern or proper business (of); appertain (to): as, it belongs to John Doe to prove the title.
  3. To be appendant (to); be connected (with); be a special relation (to): as, a beam or rafter belongs to such a frame, or to such a place in the building.
  4. To be suitable; be due.
  5. To have a settled residence (in); be domiciled (in); specifically, have a legal residence, settlement, or inhabitancy (in), whether by birth or operation of law, so as to be chargeable upon the parish or town: said of a pauper, or one likely to become such.
  6. To be a native (of); have original residence (in).
  7. To have its (or one's) proper place; be resident: as, this book belongs on the top shelf; I belong here (in this house or town).

Wiktionary

  1. v. To have its proper place.
  2. v. To be accepted in a group.
  3. v. To be a part of a group.
  4. v. To be the property of.
  5. v. To be the spouse or partner of.
  6. v. (followed by to) To be an element of (a set). The symbol \in means belongs to.
  7. prep. of, belonging to.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. v. To be the property of.
  2. v. To be a part of, or connected with; to be appendant or related; to owe allegiance or service.
  3. v. To be the concern or proper business or function of; to appertain to.
  4. v. To be suitable for; to be due to.
  5. v. To be native to, or an inhabitant of; esp. to have a legal residence, settlement, or inhabitancy, whether by birth or operation of law, so as to be entitled to maintenance by the parish or town.
  6. v. To be deserved by.

WordNet 3.0

  1. v. be a part or adjunct
  2. v. be suitable or acceptable
  3. v. be owned by; be in the possession of
  4. v. be in the right place or situation
  5. v. be a member, adherent, inhabitant, etc. (of a group, organization, or place)
  6. v. be rightly classified in a class or category

Etymologies

  1. Middle English bilongen : probably bi-, be- + longen, to belong (probably from long, dependent, from Old English gelang, along, depending; see del-1 in Indo-European roots).

Examples

Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘belong’.

Comments

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  • bilby
    A little mountain spring I found
    That fell into a pool;
    I made my hands into a cup
    And caught the sparkling water up -
    It tasted fresh and cool.
    A solemn little frog I spied
    Upon the rocky brim;
    He looked so boldly in my face,
    I'm certain that he thought the place
    Belonged by rights to him.

    - Rose Fyleman, 'The Spring'. Nov 8, 2008

‘belong’ has been looked up 1672 times, loved by 1 person, added to 11 lists, commented on 1 time, and has a Scrabble score of 9.