belief
Americannoun
-
beliefs
plural
-
something believed; an opinion or conviction.
a belief that the earth is flat.
- Synonyms:
- persuasion, conclusion, tenet, view
-
confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof.
a statement unworthy of belief.
- Synonyms:
- assurance
-
confidence; faith; trust.
a child's belief in his parents.
-
a religious tenet or tenets; religious creed or faith.
the Christian belief.
noun
-
a principle, proposition, idea, etc, accepted as true
-
opinion; conviction
-
religious faith
-
trust or confidence, as in a person or a person's abilities, probity, etc
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of belief
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
Explanation
A belief is an idea one accepts as being true or real. Many children have a strong belief that the Tooth Fairy really does exist. The noun belief replaced the Old English word geleafa, meaning “belief, faith,” in the late 12th century. A belief is an idea one usually holds with conviction and importance. In a religious context, the Ancient Greeks held the belief that many gods existed, controlling their fate, while Christianity began with the belief that only one God exists. You can also have belief in yourself in the face of a challenge.
Vocabulary lists containing belief
"The Experiment" and "Superstition"
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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:
He’s embraced the idea that you can be the youngest on a field and still be one of the best through hard work, dedication, preparation and a belief in yourself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
In one of the world's most AI-connected societies, the village's greatest challenge is not fading belief in fortune-telling, but the way it is consumed.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
This is especially true when the inequality persists intergenerationally: Social mobility declines and public belief in opportunity for all collapses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
There is also a belief that greater regulation alone will achieve little.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
When I was first hired out as shepherd t’other side the world, it’s my belief I should ha’ turned into a molloncolly-mad sheep myself, if I hadn’t a had my smoke.”
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
That this is a reflection of America is taken as a given, the same way “Love Is Blind” contestants don’t feel the need to mention their evangelical beliefs.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Yet across the continent, their disappearance is becoming impossible to ignore, as conservationists warn that hunting linked to traditional beliefs and spiritual practices continues to threaten several vulture species to the point of near extinction.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
His community lives in constant tension between its Jewish identity and the demands of the Islamic Republic, seeking to pursue religious beliefs without being seen as challenging the regime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
So do dads carrying old-school Igloo coolers, each of whom, I suspect, has strongly held beliefs about bread density, condiment placement and whether tomatoes are worth the risk.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
The differences between the beliefs and practices of groups of ‘animistic’ foragers were probably just as big.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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.
