belief

English

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old English lēafa, from Proto-Germanic *laubô. Compare German Glaube (“faith, belief”).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /bɪˈliːf/, /bəˈliːf/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -iːf
  • Hyphenation: be‧lief

Noun

belief (countable and uncountable, plural beliefs)

  1. Mental acceptance of a claim as true.
    It's my belief that the thief is somebody known to us.
    • 2013 December 6, George Monbiot, “Why I'm eating my words on veganism – again”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 26, page 48:
      The belief that there is no conflict between [livestock] farming and arable production also seems to be unfounded: by preventing the growth of trees and other deep vegetation in the hills and by compacting the soil, grazing animals cause a cycle of flash floods and drought, sporadically drowning good land downstream and reducing the supply of irrigation water.
  2. 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.
    Based on this data, it is our belief that X does not occur.
  3. (countable) Something believed.
    The ancient people have a belief in many deities.
    • Women always take the beliefs of those around them. Better a man who loves her to have the strongest influence over her beliefs and actions than her catty girlfriends who despise her for being more attractive. ― Blair Naso
  4. (uncountable) The quality or state of believing.
    My belief that it will rain tomorrow is strong.
  5. (uncountable) Religious faith.
    She often said it was her belief that carried her through the hard times.
  6. (in the plural) One's religious or moral convictions.
    I don't want to do a no-fault divorce on my husband and steal from him under color of law. It's against my beliefs.

Derived terms

Translations
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Translations to be checked

Anagrams

Dutch

Pronunciation
  • Audio(file)

Verb

belief

  1. imperative of believen

German

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [bəˈliːf]
  • Hyphenation: be‧lief

Verb

belief

  1. first-person singular preterite of belaufen
  2. third-person singular preterite of belaufen
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