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Synonyms

believe

American

[bih-leev] / bɪˈliv /

verb (used without object)

to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so.

Only if one believes in something can one act purposefully.

verb (used with object)

to have confidence or faith in the truth of (a positive assertion, story, etc.); give credence to.
to have confidence in the assertions of (a person).
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.
to suppose or assume; understand (usually followed by a noun clause).

I believe that he has left town.

verb phrase

believe in
1. to be persuaded of the truth or existence of.
  
  to believe in Zoroastrianism; to believe in ghosts.
2. to have faith in the reliability, honesty, benevolence, etc., of.
  
  I can help only if you believe in me.

idioms

make believe. make.

believe British

/ bɪˈliːv /

verb

(tr; may take a clause as object) to accept (a statement, supposition, or opinion) as true

I believe God exists
(tr) to accept the statement or opinion of (a person) as true
to be convinced of the truth or existence (of)

to believe in fairies
(intr) to have religious faith
(when tr, takes a clause as object) to think, assume, or suppose

I believe that he has left already
(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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

believe More Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing believe

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing believe

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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:

believe believes believed believing

“We don’t believe there is a basis for criminal liability and we will cooperate with any review,” said Kathleen Dunleavy, an Edison spokeswoman.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

It informs why he thinks he survived being shot five times point-blank: “I believe god saved me,” he said.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

Asked whether Washington had "given up" on North Korea's denuclearisation, Ahn said he did not believe so.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

You are an interested party, so I don’t believe you are the most appropriate person to field these questions from an attorney on her behalf.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

It was during this preinspection lineup one morning that I saw what I had till then refused to believe.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

I have a badge and a T-shirt, but no one believes me.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

But he said he still has to overturn the conviction which he believes could impact his career.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Trump reportedly believes she is invaluable, which explains her frequent presence in his company everywhere from the Oval Office to his private helicopter, Marine One, and to the presidential jet itself.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

However, Meeks believes that it may be more difficult than investors originally thought for Cerebras to ramp up capacity and deliver solutions at scale.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

However, Puthoff believes he has a way to extract energy from the void.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Sara El-Khawas and her parents Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayn, 37, are believed to have gone into the water near Shoreham Fort in West Sussex on Tuesday, according to Sussex Police.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

The company has said it kept the line in place even though it hadn’t carried power since 1971 because executives believed it could be used in the future.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Voters were asked whether each label made them more inclined or less inclined to back a given candidate, or if they believed there was not much difference or had no opinion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

The Sun newspaper said the couple would keep their Montecito home in California, as well as a house in Portugal where they are believed to have enjoyed some vacation time this summer.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

“Certainly not. I just… got a little smoke in my eye,” he said so earnestly, he nearly believed it himself.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Not terribly long ago, Cleveland mortgaged its future believing that Watson was its savior.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

His father, an artisanal miner, had proudly helped the 23-year-old prepare for the trip, believing he was going to work as a car import agent in Tanzania.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Here, “Maddie’s Secret” fully diverges from its semi-parodic path, following Maddie to treatment, which, like many people who end up in mandatory care facilities, she doesn’t take seriously, believing she knows her body best.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026

He said the survivors then moved to the home of former Minister of Public Works and Housing Dr. Mufeed Al-Hassayneh, believing it would be safe because its owner was a U.S. citizen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Some of the men were dangerously close to believing they would never get out of the ice at all.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023