appertain

/ˌæpɚˈteɪn/

//ˌæpɚˈteɪn// verb

"appertain" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“appertain” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To belong to or be a part of, whether by right, nature, appointment, or custom; to relate to.

Corpus desk

Index EN-appertain · appertain · English

appertain · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for appertain
PropertyValue
Headwordappertain
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˌæpɚˈteɪn/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “appertain” in English

appertainranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

appertain is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˌæpɚˈteɪn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for appertain in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English apperteinen, apertenen, borrowed from Old French apartenir (French appartenir), from Late Latin appertinēre, from ad (“to”) + Latin pertinēre (“to reach to, belong”). More at pertain. The correct English form is appertain, spelled A-P-P-E-R-T-A-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To belong to or be a part of, whether by right, nature, appointment, or custom; to relate to.
  2. 2
    To belong as a part, right, possession, attribute, etc.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how appertain appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. McInnis reached down and gently raised the old man's head to face him. "Edwin Falkirk, I hereby relieve you of the Directorship of Site-43 under my authority as Administrator of the SCP Foundation. Your security clearance credentials will be revoked in full, and all privileges appertaining to your position are rescinded."
  2. Also the rule of false position, with dyuers examples not onely vulgar, but some appertaynyng to the rule of Algeber.

Etymology

From Middle English apperteinen, apertenen, borrowed from Old French apartenir (French appartenir), from Late Latin appertinēre, from ad (“to”) + Latin pertinēre (“to reach to, belong”). More at pertain.

Synonyms

Antonyms

be irrelevant

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "appertain"?
"appertain" is spelled A-P-P-E-R-T-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌæpɚˈteɪn/.
What does "appertain" mean?
As a verb, "appertain" means: To belong to or be a part of, whether by right, nature, appointment, or custom; to relate to.
How do you pronounce "appertain"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "appertain" is /ˌæpɚˈteɪn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "appertain"?
From Middle English apperteinen, apertenen, borrowed from Old French apartenir (French appartenir), from Late Latin appertinēre, from ad (“to”) + Latin pertinēre (“to reach to, belong”). More at pertain. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list