verb

belong

To be someone's property or be a member or natural part of something.

These muddy boots belong to the gardener next door.

Etymology

Middle English longen could mean to pertain or be appropriate to something. With be-, it produced a verb for the connection by which something is someone’s property or part of a group.

More examples

  • She finally feels that she belongs on the team.
  • That paragraph belongs at the end of the essay.
  • The painting once belonged to my grandmother.

Forms

belong · belongs · belonged · belonging

Similar words

fit
Emphasizes suitability rather than ownership or membership.
own
Names the possessor rather than the thing possessed.