pertained

verb

past tense of pertain
1
as in belonged
to be the property of a person or group of persons the belief that quality medical care is a right that pertains to everyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in related
to have a relation or connection a person who is an expert in anything pertaining to the history of the American theater

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pertained The district has not confirmed nor denied previous reporting from WSOC-TV that the investigation pertained to contracts with some of Hill’s former colleagues. — Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 24 Aug. 2026 Both pertained to the same player in a way that had some believing there could be an easy out to fill out a Heat roster thinned by the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026 The first had to do with his schedule and the second pertained to his social status. — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026 Mickelson was one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour before his controversial move to LIV and comments about his Saudi backers, and his career survived some unsavory headlines, several of which pertained to gambling. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026 While that ruling pertained only to admissions, the administration last winter notified schools that any differential consideration based on race was unconstitutional. — ABC News, 3 June 2026 The central issue pertained to the air compressor drivebelt, which apparently passed a pre-trip inspection despite its poor condition. — Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026 The remaining allegations pertained to It Ends With Us Movie LLC (breach of agreement and retaliation), Wayfarer Studios (retaliation) and the company Lively had accused of organizing an online campaign that cast Lively in a negative light, The Agency Group PR LLC (aiding in retaliation). — Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 4 May 2026 Some 73% of deals pertained to new media, with digital media and sports the most active segments. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pertained
  1. belonged
  2. related
  3. referred
  4. applied
Verb
  • For decades, the idea of a robot working inside an operating room belonged more to science fiction than medicine.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Corporate purpose has always belonged—and still belongs—across the political divide.
    — Scott M. Curran, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of belonged
Verb
  • It is advised for those with respiratory or heart-related issues to limit outdoor exposure.
    — Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Unlike certain other claimants of Appalachian background, Parton related her stories of hillbilly hardship without grievance.
    — David Kamp, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of related
Verb
  • Another regional exclusive is slated in September for Japan, where Jordans do historically fare well, with an Air Jordan 12 calling back to the time Michael Jordan referred an exhibition game pitting NBA players against three sumo wrestlers.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Department of Labor referred the Times to the the Department of Justice, which did not respond to a request for comment on whether the government plans to appeal.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of referred
Verb
  • The country applied to join the EU in 2009 in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.
    — Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
  • If lime is needed to adjust the pH of the soil, it should be applied at least 1 month before reseeding.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of applied

Browse Nearby Words

pertain
pertained
pertained (to)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pertained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pertained. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All