believe
Americanverb (used without object)
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believes,
present (3rd person singular)
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believed,
past participle, past
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believing
present participle
verb (used with object)
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believes,
present (3rd person singular)
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believed,
past participle, past
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believing
present participle
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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
Derived Forms
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believabilitynoun
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believablenessnoun
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believernoun
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believingnoun
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superbelievablenessnoun
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prebelieveverb
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believableadjective
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half-believedadjective
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half-believingadjective
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superbelievableadjective
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well-believedadjective
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believablyadverb
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believinglyadverb
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superbelievablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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believesimple
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believessimple
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have believedperfect
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has believedperfect
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am believingprogressive
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are believingprogressive
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is believingprogressive
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have been believingperfect progressive
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has been believingperfect progressive
Past
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believedsimple
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had believedperfect
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was believingprogressive
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were believingprogressive
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had been believingperfect progressive
Future
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 )
Explanation
If you believe something, you think it’s true. If you are easily duped then you might believe your little sister when she says a thief broke into the house and ate all your candy. Believe comes from old German words meaning to have trust. Belief doesn’t require proof, just acceptance. If you’re on a jury and the prosecution and defense present two different versions of what happened, you have to decide which side you believe. To believe can also mean having confidence. If you believe in me, it doesn’t mean that you think I’m real (unless I’m a ghost). It means you think I can do what I set out to do.
Vocabulary lists containing believe
Spelling Practice, Unit 3
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 4
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Spelling Practice 2, Unit 4
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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.
See Examples For:
A recent poll conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst showed that eight out of 10 Americans believe that the war with Tehran has sent the prices of gas and other household goods soaring.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
"I can't believe banks would leave the UK just because we are restoring the surcharge to where it was in 2023. Bank share prices have risen faster here than in New York," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
“We really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans!” wrote Evan Hubinger, whose job at Anthropic is to lead research about steering and controlling future artificial-intelligence systems.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
“I believe that the positive change we have won will ripple out and help make the games industry as a whole a better place for workers and players alike.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
“This is Marlene and me at the circus that day! Do you believe me now?”
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration believes that this fourth global coral bleaching event likely concluded in mid-2025.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
Anthropic researcher believes more than 10% chance AI 'could kill all humans'
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Prominent AI author and regular OpenAI critic Gary Marcus said on a podcast that he believes the company has lost control of its AI and is trying to excuse itself by blaming the bots.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
The law says the state Attorney General can bring an action if she believes a person “has engaged or is about to engage in the false impersonation of an employee organization.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
“In Islam there is no compulsion in religion. One person does not have the right to dictate how another believes or lives.”
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
In what is believed to be its first time travelling outside France, the tapestry depicting 627 figures and more than 700 animals has been laid flat in a raised glass cabinet.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
There are now believed to be around 15 players who have exemptions to compete in in the DP World Tour.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
It was believed to have been an accident.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Blondie’s two cubs, believed to be 2 to 3 months old, will spend the rest of their childhood in captivity in the hopes that they can one day be released back into the wild.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
“Or at least, I believed that she believed it. She believed Luc was coming to find her, and when she told me at 4:55 that morning she was nearly out of her mind with panic.”
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Despite developing the machine with scientists, Ernetti’s claims of what he saw — including Christ’s crucifixion — quickly became sensationalized fodder, with some believing in Ernetti’s discovery and others dismissing it as a hoax.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
In that case, those believing in lower rates would be correct, but for a difficult reason — a major financial crash followed by recession or depression.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
If dismissing UFOs challenges the democratic equality of experience, Mr. Kirsch argues, then believing in them becomes a “bid to reclaim sovereignty over individual experience.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
They left Morocco believing they had complied with all requirements placed upon them.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Believing in perfect places was as stupid as believing in unicorns, or that a TV personality was a good substitute for a real momma.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
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.
