belonging

American  

[bih-lawng-ing, -long-] / bɪˈlɔŋ ɪŋ, -ˈlɒŋ- /

noun

1. something that belongs.

2. belongings, possessions; goods; personal effects.

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belonging British  

/ bɪˈlɒŋɪŋ /

noun

1. secure relationship; affinity (esp in the phrase a sense of belonging )

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Other Word Forms

• unbelonging adjective

Etymology

Origin of belonging

First recorded in 1595–1605; belong + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

My office belongings still packed up in my car, I drove to Canter’s Deli on Fairfax.

From Salon

Party officials said they had been expelled due to a clear breach of the rules that banned members from belonging to other political parties.

From BBC

On returning the following day to retrieve some belongings, she said the flood had completely swallowed the house: "It's already sunk."

From BBC

While the donations represent only a fraction of the ongoing recovery effort, officials say international attention has helped amplify local relief work and drawn new resources to survivors who lost homes, belongings and loved ones.

From Salon

Now homeless, the Cheungs have moved into a hotel, all of their belongings stored in a bright yellow plastic rolling suitcase small enough to fit into an airplane’s overhead bin.

From The Wall Street Journal