Relates to or concerns something; has a connection or relevance to something else.
From Old French 'partenir,' derived from Latin 'pertinere' (to belong to or relate to), combining 'per-' (through) and 'tenere' (to hold). Meaning shifted slightly toward abstract relationships.
In legal documents, 'pertains' appears constantly because lawyers need to link facts to laws precisely—the word essentially means 'has a legitimate connection to,' which is why it sounds so official and specific.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.