belong Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb be owned by; be in the possession of
    • This book belongs to me
  2. verb be suitable or acceptable
    • This student somehow doesn't belong
  3. verb be in the right place or situation
    go.
    • Where do these books belong?
    • Let's put health care where it belongs--under the control of the government
    • Where do these books go?
  4. verb be rightly classified in a class or category
    • The whales belong among the mammals
  5. verb be a member, adherent, inhabitant, etc. (of a group, organization, or place)
    • They belong to the same political party
  6. verb be a part or adjunct
    belong to.
    • the uniform looks like it belonged to a museum collection
    • These pages don't belong

WordNet

Be*long" intransitive verb
Etymology
OE. belongen (akin to D. belangen to concern, G. belangen to attain to, to concern); pref. be- + longen to desire. See Long, v. i.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Belonged present participle & verbal noun Belonging
Definitions
  1. To be the property of; as, Jamaica belongs to Great Britain.
  2. To be a part of, or connected with; to be appendant or related; to owe allegiance or service.
    A desert place belonging to . . . Bethsaids. Luke ix. 10.
    The mighty men which belonged to David. 1 Kings i. 8.
  3. To be the concern or proper business or function of; to appertain to. "Do not interpretations belong to God ?" Gen. xl. 8.
  4. To be suitable for; to be due to.
    Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age. Heb. v. 14.
    No blame belongs to thee. Shak.
  5. 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.
    Bastards also are settled in the parishes to which the mothers belong. Blackstone.
Be*long" transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To be deserved by. Obs.
    More evils belong us than happen to us. B. Jonson.

Webster 1913