belief

American  

[bih-leef] / bɪˈlif /

noun

1. something believed; an opinion or conviction.

   a belief that the earth is flat.

   Synonyms:

   persuasion, conclusion, tenet, view

2. confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof.

   a statement unworthy of belief.

   Synonyms:

   assurance

3. confidence; faith; trust.

   a child's belief in his parents.

4. a religious tenet or tenets; religious creed or faith.

   the Christian belief.

   Synonyms:

   dogma, doctrine

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belief British  

/ bɪˈliːf /

noun

1. a principle, proposition, idea, etc, accepted as true

2. opinion; conviction

3. religious faith

4. trust or confidence, as in a person or a person's abilities, probity, etc

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Related Words

Belief, certainty, conviction refer to acceptance of, or confidence in, an alleged fact or body of facts as true or right without positive knowledge or proof. Belief is such acceptance in general: belief in astrology. Certainty indicates unquestioning belief and positiveness in one's own mind that something is true: I know this for a certainty. Conviction is settled, profound, or earnest belief that something is right: a conviction that a decision is just.

Other Word Forms

• prebelief noun
• superbelief noun

Etymology

Origin of belief

First recorded in 1125–75; earlier bile(e)ve (noun use of verb); replacing Middle English bileave, equivalent to bi- be- + leave (probably from Old English -lēafa “belief”); cognate with Dutch geloof, German Glaube; akin to Gothic galaubeins

Explanation

A belief is an idea one accepts as being true or real. Many children have a strong belief that the Tooth Fairy really does exist. The noun belief replaced the Old English word geleafa, meaning “belief, faith,” in the late 12th century. A belief is an idea one usually holds with conviction and importance. In a religious context, the Ancient Greeks held the belief that many gods existed, controlling their fate, while Christianity began with the belief that only one God exists. You can also have belief in yourself in the face of a challenge.

Example Sentences

But even if you don’t believe any of that, Leo is the head of the Roman Catholic Church, the largest organization on Earth spreading that message of absolution through belief.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

"And our belief is we shouldn't just leave people to cope with this inevitable jobs transition on their own. We need to upskill the nation."

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Interviewees joke about how inscrutable he is, guess at aspects of his biography, and early on we hear Michaels’ belief that explaining humor is pointless.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

It could allow users to “reason” their way to them, reinforcing the belief that those conclusions are true.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

I don’t know which belief is true—nobody does.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• acceptance
• assumption
• conclusion
• confidence
• conviction
• expectation
• faith
• feeling
• hope
• idea
• judgment
• knowledge
• notion
• opinion
• position
• suspicion
• theory
• thinking
• trust
• understanding