belief

noun
be·​lief | \ bə-ˈlēf How to pronounce belief (audio) \

Definition of belief

1 : a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing her belief in God a belief in democracy I bought the table in the belief that it was an antique. contrary to popular belief
2 : something that is accepted, considered to be true, or held as an opinion : something believed an individual's religious or political beliefs especially : a tenet or body of tenets held by a group the beliefs of the Catholic Church
3 : conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some being or phenomenon especially when based on examination of evidence belief in the validity of scientific statements

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Synonyms & Antonyms for belief

Synonyms

credence, credit, faith

Antonyms

disbelief, discredit, doubt, nonbelief, unbelief

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Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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

Examples of belief in a Sentence

There is growing belief that these policies will not succeed. He gets angry if anyone challenges his religious beliefs. We challenged his beliefs about religion.
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Recent Examples on the Web

This is not the hospital forcing its beliefs upon others, but rather having outside views forced upon it. Kaiser Health News, The Denver Post, "Centura Health’s firing of Colorado doctor sets off national challenge to aid-in-dying laws," 4 Sep. 2019 The Chinese leaders and people are stalwart in their belief that Hong Kong is theirs — a claim accepted by the rest of the world. Steve Chapman, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Will China crush the Hong Kong protests?," 4 Sep. 2019 The number of medical exemptions has more than quadrupled since 2015, when the Legislature repealed parents’ right to not vaccinate their children based on their personal beliefs. Dustin Gardiner, SFChronicle.com, "Crackdown on vaccine exemptions moves toward passage in California," 3 Sep. 2019 The role goes light on flashy dramatic explosions, but there's a genuinely affecting build in the amplification of fear, paranoia, anger and sorrow as Jean's defiant refusal to abandon her beliefs under mounting pressure is broken down. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Seberg': Film Review | Venice 2019," 30 Aug. 2019 The couple has been very outspoken about their faith, often thanking God for their blessings and expressing how their beliefs helped them bond. Rania Aniftos, Billboard, "Justin Bieber Shares Gospel Song Performance During Church Service: 'God Is Pulling Me Through a Hard Season'," 29 Aug. 2019 The Passengers plays on many of today’s anxieties, with its chief accusation being that our belief that data is king. Hanna Kozlowska, Quartzy, "A new thriller novel offers up twisted scenarios of the tech revolution gone wrong," 28 Aug. 2019 Google had already withdrawn from the bidding, citing its belief that the project should be split among multiple providers. James Bandler, ProPublica, "How Amazon and Silicon Valley Seduced the Pentagon," 22 Aug. 2019 In the interview, the mayor once again argued his belief that Oregon’s liberal free speech laws prevent him from keeping people from showing up in Portland to exercise their First Amendment rights — regardless of the costs or consequences. oregonlive.com, "Portland mayor: Right-wing demonstrators could not articulate purpose, showed ‘ultimate cynicism’," 19 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'belief.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of belief

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for belief

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

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More Definitions for belief

belief

noun

English Language Learners Definition of belief

: 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

belief

noun
be·​lief | \ bə-ˈlēf How to pronounce belief (audio) \

Kids Definition of belief

1 : a feeling of being sure that a person or thing exists or is true or trustworthy belief in ghosts belief in democracy
2 : religious faith
3 : something believed It's my belief that our team really won.

belief

noun
be·​lief

Legal Definition of belief

: a degree of conviction of the truth of something especially based on a consideration or examination of the evidence — compare knowledge, suspicion

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