BELONGING Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

belonging 1 of 2

noun

bi-ˈlȯŋ-iŋ

Definition of belonging

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

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

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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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

The videos show police conducting more thorough searches of Mangione and his belongings at the station, including the moment an officer finds a gun – now known to be the murder weapon – inside his backpack. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026 Adams and Mourtgos, however, didn't examine Flock's effect on break-ins, where thieves steal belongings from parked cars. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026

Verb

Her sense of not belonging has become overwhelming since the election. — Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 There is a quiet yearning to know himself—to find for himself a more substantial backstory and sense of belonging—in what Shimoda pieces together. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for belonging

Recent Examples of Synonyms for belonging

Noun

Acoustic wooden bafflers frame the space and help create a sense of intimacy, with grand works from local artists peppered about and instilling a tangible sense of place.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
There is humiliation here, claustrophobia, physical vulnerability and an intimacy that occasionally brushes against the erotic.

— Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of intimacy

Noun

The casing is consistent with the same caliber of weapon that Jones had in his possession when police took him into custody, a Fort Worth Police Department homicide unit detective wrote in an arrest warrant affidavit.

— Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026
On August 1, 2025, the day after the lease lapsed, Cathy and Salvatore sued for possession of their home in Manhattan housing court.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of possession

Verb

Serrant noted that a handful of employees are staying back in London at a smaller office close to the brand’s Carnaby Street store.

— Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
In January 2024, while the couple were staying at an Orlando hotel, Vaccaro said Hill became violent toward her.

— Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of staying

Verb

Anyone with any relevant information pertaining to the incident is asked to contact the Bloomfield Police Department.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
In the days leading to Ed Sheeran’s Atlanta concert, his second since the Big Controversy, questions about everything but his music prevailed over those pertaining to it.

— DeAsia Paige, AJC.com, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of pertaining

Noun

This is a home designed not to impress, but to reaffirm that rare sense of familiarity that, at times, even precedes memory.

— Amir Capogrossi Badreddine, Architectural Digest, 2 Oct. 2026
By peak season, the brand has familiarity and a warmer audience rather than starting from zero.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of familiarity

Noun

After things go awry in the Congo, the family in The Poisonwood Bible dissolves readily.

— Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
In some ways, things have changed considerably for Reid over the last year after the television adaptation of her 2019 novel, Heated Rivalry, became a cultural phenomena.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of things

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belonged

belonging

belongings

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Style

“Belonging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belonging. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of belonging

noun

verb

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