belong
- 01 A2 Elementary
to be the property of someone.
to be the property of a person or entity; used with the preposition 'to'.
Simple“Does this umbrella belong to you, or did someone leave it behind?”
In context“The disputed territory has belonged to the crown for centuries, though recent legal challenges have questioned the validity of the original deed.”
UsageAlways used with 'to' when indicating an owner.
PitfallThis book is belonging to me. This book belongs to me.The verb 'belong' is a stative verb and is rarely used in the continuous (-ing) form.
Synonymspertain to - 02 A2 Elementary
to be a member of a group, club, or organization.
to be a member of a particular group, organization, or social class.
Simple“She belongs to a local swimming club that meets every Tuesday.”
In context“He never felt that he truly belonged to the academic elite, despite his significant contributions to the field of linguistics.”
UsageUsually followed by 'to' and a noun phrase representing the group.
Synonymsbe a member ofassociate withAntonymsbe excluded - 03 B1 Intermediate
to be in the right or natural position.
to be in a correct, proper, or appropriate location or situation.
Simple“The forks belong in the top drawer next to the knives.”
In context“After years of travelling, she finally found a small coastal town where she felt she truly belonged.”
UsageOften followed by a preposition of place like 'in', 'on', or 'under'.
Synonymsfit inhave a placeAntonymsbe out of place - 04 C1 Advanced
to be a part of a set of numbers or objects.
to be an element of a mathematical set.
Simple“In this equation, the variable x belongs to the set of real numbers.”
In context“The proof demonstrates that any integer satisfying these conditions must necessarily belong to the subset of prime numbers.”
UsageUsed with 'to' to indicate set membership.
From Middle English belongen, bilongen, from Middle English be- + longen (“to be fitting, be suitable”), from Old English langian (“to pertain to, suit”), equivalent to be- + long (“to belong”). Compare Saterland Frisian beloangje (“to attain, reach, meet”), Dutch belangen (“to concern”), German belangen (“to sue, concern”).
Compare Australian Kriol blanga, Bislama blong, Tok Pisin bilong, and Torres Strait Creole blong.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.