belong

/bi'lɔɳ/

Friendly

Explanation of "Belong"

Definition: The verb "belong" means to be part of something, to be in the right place or situation, or to be owned by someone.

Usage Instructions:

1. Asking about ownership: Use "belong" when you want to talk about who owns something.

   • Example: "Does this pen belong to you?"

2. Discussing membership or groups: Use "belong" when talking about being part of a group or organization.

   • Example: "He belongs to the soccer team."

3. Indicating the right place: Use "belong" to describe where something should be placed.

   • Example: "These toys belong in the toy box."

4. Describing suitability: Use "belong" to express that someone fits in a situation or environment.

   • Example: "She doesn’t belong in a place like this."

Advanced Usage:

• Belong among: This phrase is used to classify something within a certain category.

  • Example: "The blue whale belongs among the largest animals on earth."

• Belong to a group: Often used to describe membership in organizations or communities.

  • Example: "They belong to the same church."

Word Variants:

• Belonging (noun): The state of being a part of something or ownership.

  • Example: "She felt a sense of belonging in her new school."

• Belonged (past tense): Indicates that something was previously owned or part of something.

  • Example: "This book belonged to my grandfather."

Different Meanings:

1. Ownership: "This bike belongs to me" means that the bike is owned by me.
2. Membership: "They belong to the club" means they are members of that club.
3. Right place: "These shoes don't belong here" means the shoes are not in the correct place.
4. Suitability: "He doesn't belong in this job" suggests that he is not suitable for this job.

Synonyms:

• Fit: To be suitable for a situation.
• Be part of: To be included in a group.
• Own: To have possession of something.

Idioms:

• “Where do you belong?”: This idiom asks if someone feels they are in the right place or with the right people.

Phrasal Verbs:

• Belong to: This phrase is commonly used to indicate ownership or membership.
  • Example: "This book belongs to Sarah."

Example Sentences:

1. "These old paintings belong in a museum."
2. "Everyone wants to feel like they belong somewhere." 3.

Academic

Verb

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

Synonyms

• belong to
• go