Belongingness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The feeling or quality of being accepted and connected within a group or place
2. A sense of connection and inclusion that makes someone feel part of a community or environment
3. An emotional experience of acceptance and fitting in with others or a particular setting

Etymology: "Belongingness" is a plain compound built from "belonging" and the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective or participle into a noun of state or quality. The "-ness" ending goes back to Old English "-nes," and it attaches to words of every kind, which is why English can produce abstractions like this one on demand. The base, "belonging," is older and more interesting. It traces to Old English "langian," meaning to reach or extend, related to the adjective "long." Medieval English then built "belongen" from the prefix "be-" and that verb, so "belong" originally carried the sense of pertaining to or being connected with something. The "-ing" ending turned it into a noun ("a belonging") and then a participial or gerund form, giving English the idea of a sense of connection. Once "belonging" was in common use, speakers needed a word for the abstract quality of feeling that connection, and "-ness" supplied it. The result is a noun naming an emotional state, a feeling of being accepted and included, rather than a physical possession or relationship.

Synonyms: affiliation, membership

Antonyms: alienation