unbelief
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of unbelief
Explanation
You can use the noun unbelief to talk about a lack of belief in something, like your unbelief, since childhood, in fairies. When someone doesn't believe in something, that person has an unbelief. Most often, the term unbelief is used to talk specifically about religion. An atheist is characterized by her unbelief in a god or higher power beyond things that can be scientifically proven. Another word for unbelief is disbelief.
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.
The cultural chasm between Europeans and Africans presented obstacles to conversion, and a long legacy of church practice forbidding the enslavement of fellow Christians provided grounds to leave slaves in unbelief.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
As I saw Damar Hamlin collapse on the field and sat in unbelief hearing the words CPR and unresponsive, I just cried.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2023
For some, this struggle just leads back to unbelief.
From New York Times ● Aug. 14, 2021
Romans 11:23 says, “If they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.”
From Washington Times ● Mar. 17, 2015
They had both leaned forward, their mouths open in shock and unbelief.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
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.
