What does appertain mean?
Appertain is a formal verb meaning to belong to, or be properly connected with, a person, office, place, or thing — particularly in the sense of a right, privilege, or duty that attaches to it. To say that certain powers 'appertain to' an office is to state that they are inherent in that office and legitimately belong to whoever holds it. The word appears most often in legal and official contexts: deeds, charters, statutes, and formal correspondence, where precision about ownership and entitlement matters. It carries connotations of formality, authority, and established order, and it sounds distinctly old-fashioned to modern ears, which is precisely why it survives in legal prose — lawyers value its unambiguous sense of belonging by right. Though closely related to the far more common verb pertain, appertain differs in emphasis: where 'pertains to' suggests relevance or connection, 'appertains to' suggests possession or attachment. For readers of historical documents, contracts, or constitutional texts, understanding appertain is genuinely useful.
verbTo belong to or be naturally connected with something, especially as a right, duty, or property; to pertain to a person, office, or thing by virtue of its nature or status.
- To belong to or be attached to someone or something as a right, privilege, or duty (e.g. rights appertaining to an office).
- To be naturally or properly connected with something as part of its nature.
"The rights and privileges appertaining to the office of mayor are set out in the city charter."
"All easements and rights of way appertaining to the estate shall pass to the new owner."
"Certain responsibilities appertain to parenthood that cannot be delegated."
Appertain is essentially 'pertain' with a legal accent — it's the word lawyers reach for when something belongs to you by right rather than merely being related to you.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of appertain
Appertain derives from the Latin verb pertinere ('to stretch out, extend, be applicable'), via Old French, entering English in the medieval period alongside its sibling verb pertain. Both words descend from the same Latin root, which also gave English contain, maintain, entertain, and retain through French derivatives built on the prefix tenēre-related forms. Appertain has long carried the more formal, legalistic nuance of belonging by right, while pertain became the general-purpose verb of relevance.
How appertain is actually used
Formal and somewhat old-fashioned in register; found chiefly in legal documents, charters, contracts, and official writing. Rarely used in everyday conversation. More common in British legal and administrative prose than in American usage.
Easily confused with appertain
Pertain is the more common verb meaning 'to relate to or be relevant to' something, while appertain specifically implies belonging or attachment as a right or property.