believe
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to have confidence or faith in the truth of (a positive assertion, story, etc.); give credence to.
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to have confidence in the assertions of (a person).
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to have a conviction that (a person or thing) is, has been, or will be engaged in a given action or involved in a given situation.
The fugitive is believed to be headed for the Mexican border.
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to suppose or assume; understand (usually followed by a noun clause).
I believe that he has left town.
verb phrase
idioms
verb
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to accept (a statement, supposition, or opinion) as true
I believe God exists
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(tr) to accept the statement or opinion of (a person) as true
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to be convinced of the truth or existence (of)
to believe in fairies
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(intr) to have religious faith
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(when tr, takes a clause as object) to think, assume, or suppose
I believe that he has left already
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(tr; foll by of; used with can, could, would, etc) to think that someone is able to do (a particular action)
I wouldn't have believed it of him
Usage
Spelling tips for believe The word believe is hard to spell for two reasons. First, because it can be hard to remember the order of the i and e. Sometimes people want to spell it beleive, which is incorrect. Second, because it is pronounced [ bih-leev ], which makes you think there may be a second i in the word, as in bilieve. How to spell believe: The easiest way to remember how to spell believe is with the classic mnemonic device: “I before E, except after C." Believ[ing] is an important part of "being alive", which reminds you that the first syllable is be, not bi.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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believabilitynoun
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believablenessnoun
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believernoun
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believingnoun
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superbelievablenessnoun
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prebelieveverb
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believableadjective
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half-believedadjective
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half-believingadjective
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superbelievableadjective
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well-believedadjective
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believablyadverb
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believinglyadverb
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superbelievablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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believesimple
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believessimple
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have believedperfect
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has believedperfect
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am believingprogressive
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are believingprogressive
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is believingprogressive
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have been believingperfect progressive
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has been believingperfect progressive
Past
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believedsimple
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had believedperfect
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was believingprogressive
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were believingprogressive
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had been believingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of believe
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bileven, equivalent to bi- be- + leven, Old English (Anglian) gelēfan (cognate with Dutch gelooven, German glauben, Gothic galaubjan )
Explanation
If you believe something, you think it’s true. If you are easily duped then you might believe your little sister when she says a thief broke into the house and ate all your candy. Believe comes from old German words meaning to have trust. Belief doesn’t require proof, just acceptance. If you’re on a jury and the prosecution and defense present two different versions of what happened, you have to decide which side you believe. To believe can also mean having confidence. If you believe in me, it doesn’t mean that you think I’m real (unless I’m a ghost). It means you think I can do what I set out to do.
Vocabulary lists containing believe
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Spelling Practice 2, Unit 4
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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.
See Examples For:
Southern Utah pediatrician: People don’t know who to believe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
But other observers believe that the talks could address the possible easing of Israel's military presence in the region, such as in Lebanon, Syria or Gaza.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
“We’ve actually developed a good relationship. It’s hard to believe, right?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
"Then I checked it out and was like, 'WOW! A movie'. This could happen. There's a way to go but we believe this would be a great movie."
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“And so now I have to ask you if you still believe that your relationship with him used to be ‘easier’ and ‘simpler.’
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
The five Fed task forces—on communications, its inflation framework, and its asset holdings, among others—are meant to reopen questions Warsh believes central bankers and the economics profession had stopped asking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Harris, 42, was given a three-month sentence at Swansea Crown Court - but the victim's family believes it should have been a significantly longer sentence.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Although Weger says she isn’t a “woo-woo person,” she believes her apartment and store came from asking the universe for what she wanted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Warsh believes artificial intelligence will boost productivity, keeping inflation contained and allowing for lower rates.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Dr. Cohen beams as if he genuinely believes I’m glad to be coming in second.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Danny, who found himself isolated in the department when he said he believed her, is her only friend.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
On social care for example, he's long believed there ought to be a National Care Service, like the NHS.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
For a long time, Wall Street economists and the Federal Reserve believed the top sustainable growth rate of the U.S. economy was around 1.8%.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
By contrast, participants who placed greater value on dreams and believed that dreaming had personal meaning tended to describe richer and more immersive experiences.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
For you, for what you believed in and for all those who still need people like us to fight for them and with them.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
The findings do not necessarily show that believing in dreams directly causes more vivid dreaming.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Unfortunately for him — I’ll never stop believing her, protecting her, or reminding her that her voice matters.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
"I miss believing in the goodness of humanity."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
When we encounter a story as ancient as Odysseus’s, we directly encounter the hubris — a favorite sin among the ancient Greeks — of believing that our concerns, categories and even identities are timeless.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
For Glanvill, and others like him, the new science was intended to serve as a bulwark against materialism and atheism; being modern and believing in witchcraft went hand in hand.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
