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:
When I spoke with him last Thursday, the veteran journalist repeated his belief in the press’ witnessing role, unshaken by the massive changes occurring in the news industry.
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026
Dowler-Guerrero said Raman had an uncanny ability to get people organized and always had an unwavering belief in her own ability to get things done.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
The experience reinforced her belief that "there is community if you want to find it".
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
Named after astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who helped overturn the belief that Earth sits at the center of the solar system, the principle holds that our location in the universe is not fundamentally special or privileged.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
So when you’re evaluating whether she’s sincere in her belief or a lunatic, you should know she’s got more degrees, speaks more languages, and has seen more of the world than most people you know.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
"Traditional burial beliefs associate caves and elevated burial places with the spirit's passage toward the ancestral realm", something burial would hinder, she said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
One with standards and driven by beliefs, not resentments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
The connection is particularly interesting because it suggests that some mental health difficulties may involve more than consciously held beliefs.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
He added the comments did "not reflect my true beliefs or opinions, particularly of the communities mentioned in the report".
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Enquiries based on this premise are bound to conclude that the claims made on behalf of well-founded beliefs are excessive because that conclusion is built into the methodology.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
