verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/pəˈteɪn/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
London:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, General-American:/pɚˈteɪn/
Australian, New-Zealand:/pəˈtæɪn/
rhymes with -eɪn
CMU ARPABET:P ER0 T EY1 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To belong to or be connected as a part, adjunct, attribute, or accessory.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
That spare wheel pertains to this car.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: belong
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To relate to, concern, or be relevant to.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
That question doesn't pertain to the topic, so I'm not going to answer it.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: relate, concern
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To apply; to be or remain in place; to continue to be applicable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: apply
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To be appropriate or suitable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: suit, befit
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
be a part or attribute of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: appertain
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: belong to, belong
6
verb
Meaning 6
be relevant to
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
There were lots of questions referring to her talk
My remark pertained to your earlier comments
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: refer, relate, concern, come to, bear on, touch, touch on, have-to doe with
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: focus on, center on, revolve around, revolve about, concentrate on, center, apply, hold, go for, involve, affect, regard, matter to, interest
History
Etymology
From Middle English pertenen, from Old French partenir, pertenir (modern French appartenir), in turn from Latin pertineō, pertinēre.
Across languages
Translations
75 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Azerbaijani:
mənsub olmaq
— to belong
Azerbaijani:
aid olmaq
— to belong
Bulgarian:
принадлежа́
(prinadležá)
— to belong
Bulgarian:
спадам към
(spadam kǎm)
— to belong
Catalan:
pertànyer
— to belong
Chinese Mandarin:
属于
(shǔyú)
— to belong
Chinese Mandarin:
从属
(cóngshǔ)
— to belong
Czech:
náležet
— to belong
Dutch:
behoren
— to belong
Finnish:
kuulua
— to belong
French:
appartenir
— to belong
Galician:
pertencer
— to belong
German:
gehören
— to belong
German:
verbunden
— to belong
Hungarian:
tartozik
— to belong
Italian:
riguardare
— to belong
Italian:
pertenere
— to belong
Italian:
attenere
— to belong
Italian:
spettare
— to belong
Macedonian:
принадлежи
(prinadleži)
— to belong
Pennsylvania German:
aabelange
— to belong
Polish:
należeć
— to belong
Portuguese:
pertencer
— to belong
Russian:
принадлежа́ть
(prinadležátʹ)
— to belong
Scottish Gaelic:
buin
— to belong
Slovak:
prináleží
— to belong
Slovene:
nanašati se
— to belong
Spanish:
pertenecer
— to belong
Swedish:
gälla
— to belong
Swedish:
höra till
— to belong
Swedish:
tillhöra
— to belong
Turkish:
âit olmak
— to belong
Turkish:
ilgili olmak
— to belong
Turkish:
mahsus olmak
— to belong
Ukrainian:
нале́жати
(naléžaty)
— to belong
Zazaki:
aid biyen
— to belong
Azerbaijani:
mənsub olmaq
— to relate
Azerbaijani:
aid olmaq
— to relate
Azerbaijani:
dəxli olmaq
— to relate
Bulgarian:
отнасям се
(otnasjam se)
— to relate
Burmese:
သက်ဆိုင်
(sakhcuing)
— to relate
Chinese Mandarin:
有关
(yǒuguān)
— to relate
Dutch:
betreffen
— to relate
German:
betreffen
— to relate
German:
sich beziehen auf
— to relate
Greek:
αναφέρομαι
(anaféromai)
— to relate
Hungarian:
vonatkozik
— to relate
Italian:
riferirsi
— to relate
Italian:
riguardare
— to relate
Japanese:
関する
(kan-suru)
— to relate
Japanese:
関係する
(kankei-suru)
— to relate
Macedonian:
се однесува
(se odnesuva)
— to relate
Norwegian:
gjelde
— to relate
Old English:
belimpan
— to relate
Pennsylvania German:
aabelange
— to relate
Polish:
odnosić impf się
— to relate
Polish:
nawiązywać
— to relate
Polish:
dotyczyć
— to relate
Polish:
tyczyć
— to relate
Portuguese:
referir-se a
— to relate
Russian:
относи́ться
(otnosítʹsja)
— to relate
Slovak:
patrí
— to relate
Slovak:
prislúcha
— to relate
Slovak:
súvisí
— to relate
Slovene:
nanašati se
— to relate
Spanish:
competer
— to relate
Spanish:
incumbir
— to relate
Spanish:
atañer
— to relate
Swedish:
angå
— to relate
Swedish:
beträffa
— to relate
Turkish:
uygun olmak
— to relate
Turkish:
uymak
— to relate
Ukrainian:
відно́ситися
(vidnósytysja)
— to relate
Ukrainian:
стосува́тися
(stosuvátysja)
— to relate
