Other forms: belongings
Belonging is the feeling of being accepted as part of something. A sense of belonging, feel a belonging, belonging and identity.
A sense of belonging is the fixed phrase, and it is treated in psychology as a basic human need rather than a preference. In the plural, belongings means possessions: personal belongings, gather your belongings. Note belong to, meaning to be owned by, and belong in, meaning to be in the right place; and that the difference between the two prepositions carries most of the meaning.
1nounbelongingThe feeling of being accepted as part of something.
“Joining the choir gave her a real sense of belonging.”
2nounpossessionsPossessions.
“They packed all their belongings into the car and drove away.”
belonging is an acceptance or possession.
Middle English belongen is be- plus longen, to be suitable — related to along and long in the sense of pertaining. Belonging began as fitting rather than as owning.
Middle English
belongen
English
belong
English, today
belonging
Built from
From belong + -ing. belong comes from Middle English belongen, from und + bi-. From Middle English belongen, bilongen, from Middle English be- + longen (“to be fitting, be suitable”), from Old English langian (“to pertain to, suit”), equivalent to be- + long. Compare stq beloangje (“to attain, reach, meet”), Dutch belangen (“to concern”), German belangen (“to sue, concern”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA