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View synonyms for belief

belief

[ bih-leef ]

noun

  1. something believed; an opinion or conviction:

    a belief that the earth is flat.

    Synonyms: persuasion, conclusion, tenet, view

  2. confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof:

    a statement unworthy of belief.

    Synonyms: assurance

  3. confidence; faith; trust:

    a child's belief in his parents.

  4. a religious tenet or tenets; religious creed or faith:

    the Christian belief.

    Synonyms: dogma, doctrine



belief

/ bɪˈliːf /

noun

  1. a principle, proposition, idea, etc, accepted as true
  2. opinion; conviction
  3. religious faith
  4. trust or confidence, as in a person or a person's abilities, probity, etc
“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


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Other Words From

  • prebe·lief noun
  • super·be·lief noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of belief1

First recorded in 1125–75; earlier bile(e)ve (noun use of verb); replacing Middle English bileave, equivalent to bi- be- + leave (probably from Old English -lēafa “belief”); cognate with Dutch geloof, German Glaube; akin to Gothic galaubeins
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Synonym Study

Belief, certainty, conviction refer to acceptance of, or confidence in, an alleged fact or body of facts as true or right without positive knowledge or proof. Belief is such acceptance in general: belief in astrology. Certainty indicates unquestioning belief and positiveness in one's own mind that something is true: I know this for a certainty. Conviction is settled, profound, or earnest belief that something is right: a conviction that a decision is just.
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Example Sentences

Maybe the biggest belief being challenged here is that women need men more than vice versa.

From Salon

There’s an ancient Mesopotamian belief that physical objects can invite an external presence from a soul into it, and I’m very into pieces that I believe conjure that.

First, there's the fear of difference and the paranoid belief that those who are deemed "different" are plotting against the in-group.

From Salon

He agreed with their belief that the number of people entering Britain should be capped, promising an annual limit at the 2005 election.

From BBC

It was part of an effort to overturn the results of the US election, inspired by the false belief that it was Trump, not President Joe Biden, who had won.

From BBC

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