Definition

Noun (plural only): 1. Personal possessions; the things that a person owns or has with them: Refers to items that are one's property, typically movable items like clothes, luggage, or personal effects. 2. One's property or effects collectively: The aggregate of items owned by someone.

Usage

The word "belongings" is always used in the plural form. It refers to the collection of items that belong to a person. It is commonly used in contexts involving moving, travel, loss, or personal ownership. - It is often modified by possessive adjectives (e.g., my, her, their belongings). - It can be used with verbs like pack, gather, check, lose, search through.

Examples

• General Possessions:
  • Please ensure you have all your belongings before leaving the train.
  • After the fire, they managed to salvage only a few precious belongings.
• Travel and Movement:
  • She packed her belongings into a single suitcase.
  • The hotel is not responsible for guests' lost belongings.

Advanced Usage

• "Worldly belongings": A phrase emphasizing all of a person's material possessions.
  • He sold all his worldly belongings to finance his trip around the world.
• "Personal belongings": A common collocation specifying items for private use.
  • Passengers are advised to keep their personal belongings with them at all times.

Variants and Related Words

• Belonging (noun, singular): A feeling of being a valued member of a group. (Note: This is a different, abstract meaning).
  • A sense of belonging is important for mental well-being.
• Property (noun): A more formal and general term for things owned, which can include land and buildings.
• Possessions (noun, plural): A close synonym, often interchangeable with "belongings."
• Effects (noun, plural): Often used in formal contexts, especially "personal effects."
• Assets (noun, plural): Usually refers to valuable items or resources owned, especially in a financial context.

Synonyms

• Possessions
• Things
• Stuff (informal)
• Gear (informal, often for specific activities)
• Personal effects (formal)

Idioms and Common Phrases

• "To gather/pack up one's belongings": To collect one's things, often to leave.
  • It was time to pack up her belongings and move to a new city.
• "Meager belongings": Describing a very small or poor collection of possessions.
  • The refugees arrived with only their meager belongings.

Noun

1. something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone;
   • that hat is my property
   • he is a man of property