BELONGING Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

belonging 1 of 2

noun

bi-ˈlȯŋ-iŋ

Definition of belonging

as in intimacy

the state of being in a very personal or private relationship the warm welcome they received from the community gave them a sense of belonging

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in possession

belongings plural transportable items that one owns packed up all their belongings and moved across the country

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

belonging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of belong

as in staying

to have or be in a usual or proper place your shoes belong in the closet, not in the middle of the living room where people will trip on them

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in pertaining

to be the property of a person or group of persons those textbooks belong to the school system and not to the students

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of belonging

Noun

Some of the victim's belongings were found abandoned near the hotel, NHK further reported, citing local police. — ABC News, 25 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

Verb

During adolescence, the brain becomes especially attuned to peer approval, which means acceptance, rejection and belonging all hit with more force. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026 Exploring such themes as poverty, race, masculinity, and family, the stories discuss immigrant experiences and the quest to adjust to life in the United States and find a sense of belonging there. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for belonging

Recent Examples of Synonyms for belonging

Noun

Letters could sustain relationships between people separated by oceans, and sometimes those relationships achieved an intimacy unavailable to people who occupied the same rooms.

— Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
That’s my own fear of intimacy, of getting involved in a community.

— Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of intimacy

Noun

Salceda was charged with one count of murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
She was given 10 days to surrender her certificate of naturalization, along with any copies in her possession, to government attorneys.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of possession

Verb

Nelson Chai, DailyPay CEO, will join CNBC's Sharon Epperson to discuss the challenges employees face staying financially afloat amid the rising costs of groceries, gas and everyday personal expenses.

— Ian Thomas,Colleen McKown, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
While everyday Democrats threw their hands up in the air and wondered what on earth was happening, Garland’s Justice Department hemmed and hawed about staying impartial, objective, and neutral in the face of violent authoritarianism.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of staying

Verb

As the noise around college football continues to get louder pertaining to what is transpiring at Texas right now for Steve Sarkisian.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Doctors, therapists, and scholars guide us through all things pertaining to our culture and mental wellness journeys.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of pertaining

Noun

That could make online recommendations a more important influence on grocery purchases alongside price, packaging and brand familiarity.

— Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
But the familiarity of the fantasy elements and the brusqueness with which they’re treated would be forgivable if Wildwood did a better job exploring how the real world connects to the magical side of the story.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of familiarity

Noun

Born in 1888, Jim Casey spent his life, starting at the tender age of eleven, thinking about how to deliver things more efficiently.

— Marc Levinson, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
New York — Brett Smiley was elected mayor of Providence in 2022 on a pledge to build more housing and get things done in Rhode Island’s capital city.

— Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of things

Verb

Maria Dolores Roehling’s 9-year-old son was speeding on his e-motorcycle capable of going faster than 47 mph when he was hit by a pickup truck, prosecutors said.

— Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Other fraternity members blocked Jane Doe’s friend from going upstairs to look for her, according to the lawsuit.

— Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of going

Noun

Government officials previously said that these 11 families split from a common male-line ancestor some 600 years ago, and are now at least 36 degrees of kinship from Naruhito.

— Chad de Guzman, Time, 26 Oct. 2026
At first glance, their already tight kinship, and all their many overlapping businesses, suggest that a new SpaceX-Tesla makes sense.

— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of kinship

Browse Nearby Words

belonged

belonging

belongings

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Belonging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belonging. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of belonging

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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Cite this Entry

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