pertenencia
nounCEFR B2
What does “pertenencia” mean in English?
belonging, sense of membership
belonging, sense of membership (the feeling of being part of a group, community, or place)
Example sentences
El sentido de pertenencia a una comunidad es uno de los predictores más sólidos del bienestar psicológico individual.
The sense of belonging to a community is one of the strongest predictors of individual psychological wellbeing.
Cuando las personas no encuentran un lugar donde sentir pertenencia, aumentan los riesgos de aislamiento y de radicalización.
When people cannot find a place where they feel a sense of belonging, the risks of isolation and radicalisation increase.
How to use it
La pertenencia means 'belonging' or 'sense of belonging' — the feeling of being accepted as a member of a community, group, or identity. It is closely linked to identity, community, and wellbeing discourse at B2. The fixed phrase el sentido de pertenencia (the sense of belonging) is the most important compound: it is the standard way of expressing this concept in educational psychology, social science, and community studies. Pertenencia differs from membresía (membership — formal status) and adhesión (adherence/membership — institutional belonging). Pertenencia points to the felt experience of belonging, not the formal status.
Common mistake
El sentido de pertenencia is a fixed compound — don't paraphrase it as *el sentimiento de pertenecer in formal writing. Pertenencia (felt belonging — psychological sense) vs membresía (formal membership — contractual, institutional). 'Club membership' = 'membresía del club' or 'afiliación al club', not pertenencia.