believe
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to have confidence or faith in the truth of (a positive assertion, story, etc.); give credence to.
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to have confidence in the assertions of (a person).
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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.
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to suppose or assume; understand (usually followed by a noun clause).
I believe that he has left town.
verb phrase
idioms
verb
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to accept (a statement, supposition, or opinion) as true
I believe God exists
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(tr) to accept the statement or opinion of (a person) as true
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to be convinced of the truth or existence (of)
to believe in fairies
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(intr) to have religious faith
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(when tr, takes a clause as object) to think, assume, or suppose
I believe that he has left already
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(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
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believabilitynoun
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believablenessnoun
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believernoun
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believingnoun
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superbelievablenessnoun
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prebelieveverb
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believableadjective
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half-believedadjective
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half-believingadjective
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superbelievableadjective
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well-believedadjective
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believablyadverb
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believinglyadverb
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superbelievablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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believesimple
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believessimple
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have believedperfect
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has believedperfect
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am believingprogressive
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are believingprogressive
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is believingprogressive
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have been believingperfect progressive
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has been believingperfect progressive
Past
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believedsimple
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had believedperfect
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was believingprogressive
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were believingprogressive
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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
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 4
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Spelling Practice 2, Unit 4
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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:
If Hertz does decide you’re responsible, believe me, they’ll contact you.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
But believe it or not, one of the biggest barriers that our state faces, in this great age of technology and always-on connection, is that there is little collaboration between the folks fighting traffickers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
"We believe that after five years we need to talk, we need to listen, and they need to explain," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
There's been vocal frustration from some local people, who believe the wildfire might have been brought under control if specialist air support had been called in sooner.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
It was so perfect that even I, who had just seen twelve people eating here, could scarcely believe this was anything but an innocent old man dining with his daughters.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Yahya believes the agreement is "deeply disadvantageous" to Lebanon.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
He believes established companies won’t achieve significantly more productivity just by giving AI tools to employees.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
“Kimi will generate more use cases” for AI as developers utilize the model’s lower-cost structure, Sen believes, increasing demand for inference as well.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
World Cup winner Dawson defended under-fire England head coach Steve Borthwick - saying his side have shown "definite progress" this month - but believes there is a big problem with their discipline.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
“I know, old scout. But the Abbot’s such a decent old buffer that he believes there’s good in everyone, even Cluny. What?”
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Following the announcement by the nonprofit that the eagle was indeed believed to be Jackie, a commenter replied: “Praying for a speedy recovery so she can go back to her family soon!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
"It is believed the family fell victim to flooding caused by heavy rains," the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said in a statement, which did not name those who were killed.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
In the abiding spirit of the Americans who believed in and built that promise, this year’s series on how to think about constitutional meaning is limited only by what you, the people, can imagine.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
He told the Journal in 2022 that he believed Manson’s connection to the property was “irrelevant” and “ancient history,” adding that it had “absolutely no impact on my life whatsoever.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Her tone was all pleasantness, like she actually believed she was being nice right now.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
“Why aren’t we believing the kids? They are adults.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
All this time, he had hardened his heart against his parents, believing they had abandoned him and Asa.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
"The people who bet aren't actually financially stable. They usually want to change their lives and end up believing this misleading advertising," Ana Clara Costa, a 21-year-old market vendor in Copacabana, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
For generations, Argentines have grown up believing their country was destined for more than history delivered - rich in talent, held back repeatedly by instability.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
In the split second after it happened, I cursed myself for believing even for one moment that I was really allowed to be happy.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
