under one's belt

prepositional phrase

Already done; within one's experience; practiced.

“He got off to a shaky start, but with a few months of experience under his belt, he kept up handily with the veteran employees.”

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. Already done; within one's experience; practiced.

    He got off to a shaky start, but with a few months of experience under his belt, he kept up handily with the veteran employees.

    1 more example

    You were fresh off the boat from Virginia / I had a year in New York City under my belt / We met in a dream, we were both nineteen

    1998, “Two Little Girls”, in Ani DiFranco (lyrics), Little Plastic Castle, performed by Ani DiFranco

Origin

Opinions vary between: * Comparing the experience and what was learned and gained from it to a meal now eaten and safely stowed away in the stomach. * The effect of a punch below the belt in boxing or other fist fighting.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 在自己以往的經驗中 /在自己以往的经验中
  • 在自己以往的經驗中 /在自己以往的经验中 (zài zìjǐ yǐwǎng de jīngyàn zhōng)within one's experience
Czech za sebou
  • za sebouwithin one's experience
Finnish plakkarissa, plakkariin
  • plakkarissawithin one's experience
  • plakkariinwithin one's experience
French à son actif, derrière la cravate
  • à son actifwithin one's experience
  • derrière la cravatewithin one's experience
German im Gepäck, (Jahre / Belastungen) auf dem Buckel
  • im Gepäckwithin one's experience
  • (Jahre / Belastungen) auf dem Buckelwithin one's experience
  • (Zeugnis) in der Taschewithin one's experience
  • hinter sichwithin one's experience
Hebrew באמתחתו
  • באמתחתו (beamtakhtó)within one's experience
Polish na koncie
  • na konciewithin one's experience
Portuguese nas costas
  • nas costaswithin one's experience
Russian за плеча́ми
  • за плеча́ми (za plečámi)within one's experience
Spanish en su haber
  • en su haberwithin one's experience
Swedish i bagaget
  • i bagagetwithin one's experience
Ukrainian за плеча́ми
  • за плеча́ми (za plečámy)within one's experience
Cite this entry
APA

under one's belt. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/under%20one's%20belt

MLA

“under one's belt.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/under%20one's%20belt. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “under one's belt,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/under%20one's%20belt.

Source: under one's belt on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.