believe
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to have confidence or faith in the truth of (a positive assertion, story, etc.); give credence to.
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to have confidence in the assertions of (a person).
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to have a conviction that (a person or thing) is, has been, or will be engaged in a given action or involved in a given situation.
The fugitive is believed to be headed for the Mexican border.
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to suppose or assume; understand (usually followed by a noun clause).
I believe that he has left town.
verb phrase
idioms
verb
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to accept (a statement, supposition, or opinion) as true
I believe God exists
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(tr) to accept the statement or opinion of (a person) as true
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to be convinced of the truth or existence (of)
to believe in fairies
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(intr) to have religious faith
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(when tr, takes a clause as object) to think, assume, or suppose
I believe that he has left already
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(tr; foll by of; used with can, could, would, etc) to think that someone is able to do (a particular action)
I wouldn't have believed it of him
Usage
Spelling tips for believe The word believe is hard to spell for two reasons. First, because it can be hard to remember the order of the i and e. Sometimes people want to spell it beleive, which is incorrect. Second, because it is pronounced [ bih-leev ], which makes you think there may be a second i in the word, as in bilieve. How to spell believe: The easiest way to remember how to spell believe is with the classic mnemonic device: “I before E, except after C." Believ[ing] is an important part of "being alive", which reminds you that the first syllable is be, not bi.
Other Word Forms
- believability noun
- believable adjective
- believableness noun
- believably adverb
- believer noun
- believing noun
- believingly adverb
- half-believed adjective
- half-believing adjective
- prebelieve verb
- superbelievable adjective
- superbelievableness noun
- superbelievably adverb
- well-believed adjective
Etymology
Origin of believe
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bileven, equivalent to bi- be- + leven, Old English (Anglian) gelēfan (cognate with Dutch gelooven, German glauben, Gothic galaubjan )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The school account added: “As for what intelligence you believe could be gathered flying Cessnas in Redding, California… That assumption speaks for itself.”
From Los Angeles Times
A New York Times/Sienna poll out last Friday found that 61 percent of voters believe ICE's tactics have "gone too far."
From BBC
While there are more than a thousand startups with valuations of $1 billion or higher, the number of neolabs is generally believed to be in the dozens, according to researchers and investors.
She said the journalism standards at the network have not changed since she arrived, but believed the division has been more welcoming to a wider range of viewpoints.
From Los Angeles Times
Regardless of the level of shock or surprise, however, Bertoli doesn’t believe a boycott is warranted.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
