Adjacent Words

Pertain definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PERTA'IN, v.i. [L. pertineo, per and tenco, to hold.]
1. To belong; to be the property, right or duty of.
Men hate those who affect honor by ambition, which pertaineth not to them.
He took the fortified cities which pertained to Judah. 2 Kings 12.
It pertains to the governor to open the ports by proclamation.
2. To have relation to. Acts 1.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: be relevant to; "There were lots of questions referring to her talk"; "My remark pertained to your earlier comments" [syn: refer, pertain, relate, concern, come to, bear on, touch, touch on, have-to doe with]
2: be a part or attribute of [syn: pertain, appertain]

Merriam Webster's

intransitive verb Etymology: Middle English perteinen, from Anglo-French partenir, purteiner, from Latin pertin?re to reach to, belong, from per- through + ten?re to hold — more at thin Date: 14th century 1. a. (1) to belong as a part, member, accessory, or product (2) to belong as an attribute, feature, or function <the destruction and havoc pertaining to war> (3) to belong as a duty or right <responsibilities that pertain to fatherhood> b. to be appropriate to something <the criteria…will be different from those that pertain elsewhere — J. B. Conant> 2. to have reference <books pertaining to birds>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.intr. 1 (foll. by to) a relate or have reference to. b belong to as a part or appendage or accessory. 2 (usu. foll. by to) be appropriate to. Etymology: ME f. OF partenir f. L pertinere (as PER-, tenere hold)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pertain Per*tain", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pertained; p. pr. & vb. n. Pertaining.] [OE. partenen, OF. partenir, fr. L. pertinere to stretch out, reach, pertain; per + tenere to hold, keep. See Per-, and Tenable, and cf. Appertain, Pertinent.] 1. To belong; to have connection with, or dependence on, something, as an appurtenance, attribute, etc.; to appertain; as, saltness pertains to the ocean; flowers pertain to plant life. Men hate those who affect that honor by ambition which pertaineth not to them. --Hayward. 2. To have relation or reference to something. These words pertain unto us at this time as they pertained to them at their time. --Latimer.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(pertains, pertaining, pertained) If one thing pertains to another, it relates, belongs, or applies to it. (FORMAL) ...matters pertaining to naval district defense. VERB: V to n

Moby Thesaurus

affect, appertain, appertain to, apply, apply to, associate, bear, bear on, befit, combine, concern, connect, cover, include, join, pertain to, refer to, regard, relate, relate to, vest