believe
Americanverb (used without object)
-
believes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
believed,
past participle, past
-
believing
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
believes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
believed,
past participle, past
-
believing
present participle
-
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
idioms
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
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
-
believabilitynoun
-
believablenessnoun
-
believernoun
-
believingnoun
-
superbelievablenessnoun
-
prebelieveverb
-
believableadjective
-
half-believedadjective
-
half-believingadjective
-
superbelievableadjective
-
well-believedadjective
-
believablyadverb
-
believinglyadverb
-
superbelievablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
believesimple
-
believessimple
-
have believedperfect
-
has believedperfect
-
am believingprogressive
-
are believingprogressive
-
is believingprogressive
-
have been believingperfect progressive
-
has been believingperfect progressive
Past
-
believedsimple
-
had believedperfect
-
was believingprogressive
-
were believingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Spelling Practice 1, Unit 4
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Spelling Practice 2, Unit 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The Lost Land Bridge Project team believe the potential for more future discoveries is high.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Experts believe the second one will not cause a high-magnitude flood.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
They believe that this was intentional and premeditated, and I think they’re going to stand by those beliefs.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
The U.S. has entered a phase where economists believe the country doesn’t have to add many jobs a month to keep the labor market steady.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
“And so now I have to ask you if you still believe that your relationship with him used to be ‘easier’ and ‘simpler.’
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
When it comes to reasonable doubt, if a juror actually believes there’s reasonable doubt, that’s supposed to work in Lindsey’s favor.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
However, he too believes there could be “modest upside” to revenue for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, and potential upside for the company’s software-as-a-service business as well.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
Wall Street believes those investments will pay off.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
Gupta believes the question isn't whether India is retiring old cables, but whether new terrestrial and subsea capacity can keep pace with AI-driven demand.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Amazingly, I know, too, that he believes loyalty to a friend is more important than land.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Douglass believed that constitutional language had an ascertainable public meaning, but that when ambiguity remained, natural rights supplied the interpretive rule.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
"You wouldn't even bother to report half of these things because A, you wouldn't be believed and B, everyone was doing it."
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
But she also believed in having fun; otherwise why bother?
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Radial glia are also believed to contribute to the unusually large expansion of the human cortex compared with that of other species.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
After the events at Corinthian Hall, Rochester’s citizens either believed in the Fox sisters’ spirits or they did not.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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
They left Morocco believing they had complied with all requirements placed upon them.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
“Today I am safe, I am believing that is enough.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Not terribly long ago, Cleveland mortgaged its future believing that Watson was its savior.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
She figured Sciron would have no trouble believing in double-crosses, being a bandit and all.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
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.
