belief

noun be·lief \bə-ˈlēf\

: a feeling of being sure that someone or something exists or that something is true

: a feeling that something is good, right, or valuable

: a feeling of trust in the worth or ability of someone

Full Definition of BELIEF

: a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing

: something believed; especially : a tenet or body of tenets held by a group

: conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon especially when based on examination of evidence

See belief defined for English-language learners

See belief defined for kids

Origin of BELIEF

Middle English beleave, probably alteration of Old English gelēafa, from ge-, associative prefix + lēafa; akin to Old English lȳfan — more at believe

First Known Use: 12th century

Related to BELIEF

Synonyms: credence, credit, faith, article of faith

Antonyms: disbelief, discredit, doubt, nonbelief, unbelief

Synonym Discussion of BELIEF

belief, faith, credence, credit mean assent to the truth of something offered for acceptance. belief may or may not imply certitude in the believer <my belief that I had caught all the errors>. faith almost always implies certitude even where there is no evidence or proof <an unshakable faith in God>. credence suggests intellectual assent without implying anything about grounds for assent <a theory now given credence by scientists>. credit may imply assent on grounds other than direct proof <gave full credit to the statement of a reputable witness>.

synonyms see in addition opinion

Rhymes with BELIEF

bay leaf, crew chief, debrief, drop leaf, endleaf, enfeoff, fig leaf, fire chief, flyleaf, gold leaf, in brief, in chief, kerchief, loose-leaf, massif, motif, naïf, O'Keeffe, red leaf, relief, sharif, shinleaf, sneak thief, Tallchief

BELIEF Defined for Kids

belief

noun be·lief \bə-ˈlēf\

Definition of BELIEF for Kids

: a feeling of being sure that a person or thing exists or is true or trustworthy <belief in ghosts> <belief in democracy>

: religious faith

: something believed <It's my belief that our team really won.>

Synonym Discussion of BELIEF

belief and faith mean agreement with the truth of something. belief is used when there is some kind of evidence for believing even though the believer is not always sure of the truth. <The story strengthened my belief in ghosts.> faith is used when the believer is certain even if there is no evidence or proof. <Even after the robbery, I kept my faith in the goodness of people.>

synonyms see in addition opinion

Learn More About BELIEF

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "belief"

Spanish Central: Spanish translation of "belief"

Nglish: Translation of "belief" for Spanish speakers

Britannica English: Translation of "belief" for Arabic speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about "belief"

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