unbelief

American  

[uhn-bi-leef] / ˌʌn bɪˈlif /

noun

1. the state or quality of not believing; incredulity or skepticism, especially in matters of doctrine or religious faith.

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unbelief British  

/ ˌʌnbɪˈliːf /

noun

1. disbelief or rejection of belief

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Etymology

Origin of unbelief

1125–75; Middle English unbelefe; see un- ¹, belief

Explanation

You can use the noun unbelief to talk about a lack of belief in something, like your unbelief, since childhood, in fairies. When someone doesn't believe in something, that person has an unbelief. Most often, the term unbelief is used to talk specifically about religion. An atheist is characterized by her unbelief in a god or higher power beyond things that can be scientifically proven. Another word for unbelief is disbelief.

Example Sentences

Unbelief has been creeping slowly over us all for a hundred and fifty years .

From Time Magazine Archive

Last year Father Nazareno Taddei, a cinema expert, introduced a course on "Faith and Unbelief in the Contemporary Cinema"�and illustrated it with uncut showings of avant-garde films by Antonioni, Bresson, Bunuel, Dreyer, Pasolini and Bergman.

From Time Magazine Archive

As far as I am concerned, a veil has been lifted from many things; I will tell you by and by my thoughts on Faith and Unbelief.

From The Red Room by Strindberg, August

Unbelief, calamity though it be, at least does not dishonour a Deity whose existence it denies.

From Roman Society from Nero to Marcus Aurelius by Dill, Samuel

Unbelief forfeited the true fruition of even the old Canaan for the old Israel.

From Messages from the Epistle to the Hebrews by Moule, H. C. G. (Handley Carr Glyn)