belief
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belief
- /bɪˈliːf/
- [bɪˈlɪi̯f]
- /bəˈliːf/
- [bəˈlɪi̯f]
Rhymes with -iːf
Where it comes from
From Middle English bileve, from Old English lēafa, from Proto-West Germanic *laubu from Proto-Germanic *laubō. Compare German Glaube (“faith, belief”).
The replacement of final /v/ with /f/ is due to the analogy of noun-verb pairs with /f/ in the noun but /v/ in the verb, creating a pair belief : believe on the model of e.g. grief : grieve or proof : prove.
noun beliefs
- Mental acceptance of a claim as true. It's my belief that the thief is somebody known to us.
- Faith or trust in the reality of something; often based upon one's own reasoning, trust in a claim, desire of actuality, and/or evidence considered. My belief is that there is a bear in the woods. Bill said he saw one.
- Something believed. The ancient people have a belief in many deities.
- The quality or state of believing. My belief that it will rain tomorrow is strong.
- Religious faith. She often said it was her belief that carried her through the hard times.
- One's religious or moral convictions. I can't do that. It's against my beliefs.
Similar: assumption, premise, faith, opinion, tenet, conviction · Opposite: disbelief
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: dogma, tenet, notion, feeling, impression, believing, loyalty, faith, conscience, credo, believe, opinion, authentic, principle, trust, wisdom
noun
Similar: assumption, premise, faith, opinion, tenet, conviction · Opposite: disbelief
Translations
Every language
noun mental acceptance of a claim as truth
| Español | creencia |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 믿음 mideum, 확신 hwaksin |
| 日本語 | 確信 kakushin |
| 中文 | 相信 xiāngxìn, 信心 xìnxīn |
| हिन्दी | विश्वास viśvās, धारणा dhārṇā, ईमान īmān |
| Português | crença |
| Français | croyance |
| Deutsch | Glauben |
| Italiano | credito, credenza, convinzione |
| Ελληνικά | πίστη písti, πιστεύω pistévo |
| Română | credință |
| Русский | ве́ра véra, дове́рие dovérije, убежде́ние ubeždénije |
| العربية | اِعْتِقَاد iʕtiqād |
| עברית | הַאֲמָנָה ha'amaná |
noun something believed
| 한국어 | 믿음 mideum, 신념 sinnyeom, 신조 sinjo |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 信念 shinnen, 信条 shinjō |
| 中文 | 信念 xìnniàn |
| हिन्दी | विश्वास viśvās |
| Português | crença |
| Deutsch | Glaube |
| Italiano | credenza, opinione |
| Ελληνικά | δοξασία doxasía, δόγμα dógma, πίστη písti |
| Русский | ве́ра véra, убежде́ние ubeždénije |
noun the quality or state of believing
| Português | crença |
|---|---|
| Français | conviction |
| Deutsch | Glaube |
| Italiano | convinzione |
| Ελληνικά | δοξασία doxasía, δόγμα dógma |
| Română | convingere, convicțiune |
| Русский | ве́ра véra |
noun religious faith
| Español | fe, creencia |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 신앙 sinang, 믿음 mideum |
| 日本語 | 信仰 shinkō, 信教 shinkyō |
| 中文 | 信仰 xìnyǎng, 宗教信仰 zōngjiào xìnyǎng |
| हिन्दी | आस्था āsthā, श्रद्धा śraddhā |
| Português | crença |
| Français | foi, croyance |
| Deutsch | Glauben |
| Italiano | fede, credo, credenza |
| Ελληνικά | πίστη písti |
| Română | credință |
| Русский | ве́ра véra, ве́рование vérovanije |
| العربية | عَقِيدَة ʕaqīda |
Talk about this word "belief." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/belief. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. belief. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/belief "belief." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/belief.Cite this
@misc{belief_2026,
title = {belief},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/belief},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
