Belonging

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /bɪˈlɒŋɪŋ/

Definitions

1. A condition of being included in a community, owning something, or experiencing emotional attachment to a person or place
2. The status of being a member of a specific group, having ownership of an item, or feeling an emotional connection to others or one's environment
3. The state of being accepted within a group or place ; the fact of possessing or having control over something ; an emotional tie or sense of being connected with others or a location

Etymology: Belonging is a plain formation: the verb "belong" with the suffix "-ing" added to turn it into a noun. The verb itself is built from "be-", an old prefix meaning something like "around" or "about," and "longen," from Old English "langian," meaning "to reach" or "to extend." So at its root, to belong was to stretch toward or reach out to something, with the sense of "pertaining to" or "appertaining" developing from that idea of reaching toward a place or person. The noun took shape in Middle English, where forms such as "belonginge" and "belanging" appeared, and the suffix "-ing" was used to make a noun meaning the state of belonging. The word has kept close to that original sense of connection, which is why it can now describe membership in a group, ownership of a thing, or an emotional tie to a place or people.

Synonyms: affiliation, membership, inclusion, association, connection

Antonyms: alienation, exclusion, estrangement, separation, disconnection