belonging 1 of 2

noun

bi-ˈlȯŋ-iŋ How to pronounce belonging (audio)
Definition of belongingnext
1
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in possession
belongings plural transportable items that one owns packed up all their belongings and moved across the country

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

belonging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of belong
1
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

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2
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

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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
Records show the school was billed $2,170—a relative pittance in the grand scheme of things—for a six-man crew from a local moving company to box up and relocate Moore’s belongings during the 43-hour window of his incarceration. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 8 Oct. 2026 In Gulf Shores, an Alabama community encouraging voluntary evacuations, resident Maranie Adams gathered water and other supplies as her family moved belongings, including a hot tub motor, to higher ground. — R.j. Rico, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
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 Densley said gangs fill gaps in belonging, protection and status, and that hasn't changed over the generations. — Reg Chapman, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for belonging
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belonging
  1. intimacy
  2. possession
  3. staying
  4. pertaining
  5. familiarity
  6. things
  7. going
  8. kinship
Noun
  • The vast auditorium offered a sense of intimacy with floating clouds and twinkling lights like a visitor would still see at the Music Box Theatre in Lakeview today.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Dyrholm will star as a woman who is unable to acknowledge and access her own feelings and constructs intimacy by stealing objects from people instead of getting close to them.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of intimacy
Noun
  • The shoes became more than a possession, carrying a connection to the maker long after the customer left the shop.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Paporakis has been charged with one count of making a terrorist threat, a class X felony, and one count of unlawful possession of a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches, a class 3 felony, police said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of possession
Verb
  • The singer is staying at the hotel during her 2026-27 Paris concert residency and steps out to greet her fans ahead of each show, wearing designer threads and shoes.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Staying social and connected with others is vital for staying vital as you age.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of staying
Verb
  • Doctors, therapists, and scholars guide us through all things pertaining to our culture and mental wellness journeys.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Doctors, therapists and scholars guide us through all things pertaining to our culture and mental wellness journeys.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of pertaining
Noun
  • The remaining shades include Townsend Harbour Brown, White Down, and Nelson Blue, all of which are tinged with the comfort of familiarity.
    — Kelly Dawson, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2026
  • And while the Dodgers haven’t done anything against them yet, that familiarity could help in the rest of the series.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of familiarity
Noun
  • Which brings us back to the list of things that lasted longer than Zacharia’s term as White House Press Secretary.
    — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The wide-leg pants keep things relaxed, and the ruched waist on the knit top adds shape and makes the whole look feel more polished than a standard sweatshirt set.
    — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of things
Verb
  • Ryu wins the first time, but the brothers have a falling out and start a beef with a demon named Akuna before going their separate ways.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The company explicitly framed the ultra-high-tech monster as the roadmap for a rollout of seven new road-going models destined for global markets over the next four years.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of going
Noun
  • The Masts dispute the family's kinship and argue that reopening the adoption now would be a significant disruption for the girl, who is now 7 and has been living with their family for years.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The film reflects on faith, kinship and the passage from life to death.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of kinship

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belonging
belongings
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Cite this Entry

“Belonging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belonging. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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