belong

Belong is a verb with related senses centered on fit, ownership, and membership. Intransitively, it describes being in the right place or fitting into a context: These chairs belong here. Transitively, it describes possession or association: This book belongs to me. It can also express membership: She belongs to the debate club, and it can convey compatibility: That scarf belongs with the coat.

The noun forms include belongings (personal possessions) and belonging (the state of being part of a group or the feeling of being at home). The phrase belongs to indicates ownership, as in This notebook belongs to Maria; belong with can indicate compatibility, as in The mug belongs with the teapot.

Etymology: Belong comes from Old English belangan, be- + langan, originally meaning to lie near or to have a connection; over time it developed the modern sense of being properly connected, or belonging to someone or something.

Psychology and sociology: In social psychology, belonging is a fundamental human need and a core component of well-being; the concept of the need to belong was explored by Baumeister and Leary (1995) and by subsequent research.

Usage notes: do not confuse belongings (personal possessions) with the verb belong; the spelling is different, and context usually clarifies the meaning. Related terms include belonging and belongings in broader discussions of social identity and property.