Belonging

something that belongs.
belongings, possessions; goods; personal effects.
to be in the relation of a member, adherent, inhabitant, etc. (usually followed by to):
he belongs to the knights of columbus.
to have the proper qualifications, especially social qualifications, to be a member of a group:
you don’t belong in this club.
to be proper or due; be properly or appropriately placed, situated, etc.:
books belong in every home. this belongs on the shelf. he is a statesman who belongs among the great.
belong to,

to be the property of:
the book belongs to her.
to be a part or adjunct of:
that cover belongs to this jar.

contemporary examples

we like belonging to them, knowing them, being able to recognize the signifiers of our cohort.
mark pagel in ‘wired for culture’ makes a strong case for cultural determinism casey schwartz march 3, 2012

overcoming fear the third chakra, at the solar plexus, manipura, is about overcoming fear and attaining a sense of belonging.
the tantric s-x in avatar asra q. nomani march 3, 2010

anderson surveys love and belonging, venusian themes, from the p-ssive-male taurus perspective.
zodiac beast: may 1-7 starsky + c-x april 29, 2011

but new yorkers are casually tribal, and dual ident-ties often seem like the minimum bid for belonging here.
former cop edward conlon on what he learned about profiling edward conlon april 6, 2012

the issue explored the theme of vulnerability, “relevant to anyone who seeks understanding, change, love, and belonging.”
the winning gay subtlety of ‘h-llo mr.’ justin jones september 25, 2014

historical examples

i never knew a ‘ganius’ yet that was n’t the ruin of all belonging to him!
the martins of cro’ martin, vol. i (of ii) charles james lever

i must say i don’t know of any belonging to the latter cl-ss.
ballads of a bohemian robert w. service

st. marks school, belonging to the local church organization, had three hundred and thirty pupils during its last term.
the crest of the continent ernest ingersoll

i’ll not ask you, with your remembrance of my house and all belonging to it, whether you believe it.
little dorrit charles d-ckens

through her everything there belonging to hall could be examined without exciting suspicion.
harry blount, the detective t. j. flanagan

noun
secure relationship; affinity (esp in the phrase a sense of belonging)
verb (intransitive)
(foll by to) to be the property or possession (of)
(foll by to) to be bound to (a person, place, or club) by ties of affection, dependence, allegiance, or membership
foll by to, under, with, etc. to be cl-ssified (with): this plant belongs to the daisy family
(foll by to) to be a part or adjunct (of): this top belongs to the smaller box
to have a proper or usual place: that plate belongs in the cupboard
(informal) to be suitable or acceptable, esp socially: although they were rich, they just didn’t belong
v.

mid-14c., “to go along with, properly relate to,” from be- intensive prefix, + longen “to go,” from old english langian “pertain to, to go along with,” of unknown origin. senses of “be the property of” and “be a member of” first recorded late 14c. cognate with middle dutch belanghen, dutch belangen, german belangen. replaced earlier old english gelang, with completive prefix ge-.
see: to the victor belong the spoils