belonging to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "belonging to" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate possession or association with someone or something. Example: "The book belonging to Sarah was left on the table."

✓ Grammatically correct

Encyclopedia Britannica

The New York Times

Cornell University

The New York Times - Sports

The Washington Post

The Guardian - Arts

The New Yorker

Yale University

Optics & Laser Technology

Forbes

Forbes - Sports

Boundary Value Problems

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Heritage Science

Vice

Unicef

HuffPost

Plosone

BMC Veterinary Research

Botanical Studies

Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials

BMJ Open

BMC Genomics

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

as belonging to a suspect.

Encyclopedia Britannica

"There is property belonging to my son".

The New York Times

Belonging to Maria Stackett.

Cornell University

"It's belonging to a culture.

The New York Times - Sports

Some troops belonging to Cmdr.

The New York Times

Those seats — belonging to Reps.

The Washington Post

It's like belonging to the Masons.

The Guardian - Arts

Children's books belonging to Czarevitch and sisters.

The New Yorker

The other was belonging to the Republic.

The New York Times - Books

A stiffened leg belonging to somebody's mom.

The New York Times

The electrons start belonging to the oxygen.

Yale University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "belonging to" to clearly indicate possession or association, especially when the relationship is important to the context. For example, "The documents belonging to the case are confidential."

Common error

Avoid writing "belongto" as a single word. "Belong to" is a two-word phrase, and combining them can lead to confusion and grammatical errors.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "belonging to" functions as a prepositional phrase, indicating possession, association, or connection. It modifies a noun by specifying who or what something belongs to, as demonstrated in the Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

46%

Science

36%

Academia

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "belonging to" is a very common prepositional phrase used to indicate possession, association, or membership. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability across various contexts. It frequently appears in News & Media and Scientific sources, but it is versatile enough for use in almost any writing style. When using "belonging to", ensure clear and direct association. Alternatives like "owned by" or "associated with" can be used for nuanced meaning. Avoid the common mistake of writing "belongto" as a single word, as this is grammatically incorrect.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

owned by

Indicates direct ownership rather than a general association.

property of

Emphasizes legal ownership or official assignment.

part of

Suggests inclusion within a larger group or set.

associated with

Focuses on a connection or relationship, not necessarily ownership.

affiliated with

Highlights a formal connection or membership.

held by

Indicates temporary or formal possession.

under the jurisdiction of

Emphasizes authority or control.

falling under

Suggests categorization or classification.

member of

Highlights membership within a group or organization.

attributable to

Indicates cause or origin, rather than simple possession.

FAQs

How can I use "belonging to" in a sentence?

"Belonging to" is used to indicate possession or association. For example, "The book belonging to John was on the shelf", or "Troops belonging to that commander were involved".

What are some alternatives to "belonging to"?

You can use alternatives like "owned by", "property of", or "associated with" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "belonging of" instead of "belonging to"?

No, "belonging of" is not grammatically correct. The correct phrase is "belonging to".

What is the difference between "belonging to" and "owned by"?

"Belonging to" and "owned by" both indicate possession, but "belonging to" can also suggest a looser association, while "owned by" typically implies legal ownership.