belonging

1 of 2

noun

be·​long·​ing bi-ˈlȯŋ-iŋ How to pronounce belonging (audio)
bē-
Synonyms of belonging
1
: possession
—usually plural
2
: close or intimate relationship
a sense of belonging
belongingness noun

belonging

2 of 2

present participle of belong

Synonyms of belonging

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Noun

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Examples of belonging in a Sentence

Noun the warm welcome they received from the community gave them a sense of belonging packed up all their belongings and moved across the country
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Noun
At the police station, the volunteers put their belongings in trash bags and waited to be processed, Spiro said. — Liam Scott, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 All that remained of Sara’s home were pillars of concrete; most of their belongings were below the rubble. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026 Its inaugural slate features films by Mohammad Rasoulof, Shahrbanoo Sadat, Mo Harawe, Maryna Er Gorbach and Hasan Kattan, exploring displacement through stories of identity, belonging and exile. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026 Pawlikowski is also the director of the 2013 Ida, as well 2018’s Cold War, pictures that, like this one, deftly balance postwar Eastern Bloc realities with the truth that all humans strive for connection and belonging. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for belonging

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1781, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of belonging was in 1781

Rhymes for belonging

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Browse Nearby Words

belong
belonging
belongingness
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Cite this Entry

“Belonging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belonging. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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