51³Ō¹Ļ

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View synonyms for

believe

[bih-leev]

verb (used without object)

believed, believing 
  1. to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so.

    Only if one believes in something can one act purposefully.



verb (used with object)

believed, believing 
  1. to have confidence or faith in the truth of (a positive assertion, story, etc.); give credence to.

  2. to have confidence in the assertions of (a person).

  3. 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.

  4. to suppose or assume; understand (usually followed by a noun clause).

    I believe that he has left town.

verb phrase

    1. to be persuaded of the truth or existence of.

      to believe in Zoroastrianism; to believe in ghosts.

    2. to have faith in the reliability, honesty, benevolence, etc., of.

      I can help only if you believe in me.

believe

/ ²śÉŖĖˆ±ō¾±Ė±¹ /

verb

  1. (tr; may take a clause as object) to accept (a statement, supposition, or opinion) as true

    I believe God exists

  2. (tr) to accept the statement or opinion of (a person) as true

  3. to be convinced of the truth or existence (of)

    to believe in fairies

  4. (intr) to have religious faith

  5. (when tr, takes a clause as object) to think, assume, or suppose

    I believe that he has left already

  6. (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

ā€œCollins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridgedā€ 2012 Digital Edition Ā© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Ā© HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51³Ō¹Ļ Forms

  • believability noun
  • believableness noun
  • believable adjective
  • believably adverb
  • believer noun
  • believingly adverb
  • half-believed adjective
  • half-believing adjective
  • prebelieve verb
  • superbelievable adjective
  • superbelievableness noun
  • superbelievably adverb
  • well-believed adjective
  • ²ś±šĖˆ±ō¾±±š±¹²¹²ś±ō±š adjective
  • ²ś±šĖˆ±ō¾±±š±¹²¹²ś±ō²ā adverb
  • ²ś±šĖˆ±ō¾±±š±¹¾±²Ō²µ noun
  • ²ś±šĖˆ±ō¾±±š±¹±š°ł noun
  • ²ś±šĖˆ±ō¾±±š±¹²¹ĖŒ²ś¾±±ō¾±³Ł²ā noun
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51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins

Origin of believe1

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bileven, equivalent to bi- be- + leven, Old English (Anglian) ²µ±š±ōŧ“ڲ¹²Ō (cognate with Dutch gelooven, German glauben, Gothic galaubjan )
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51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins

Origin of believe1

Old English beliefan
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. make believe. make.

In addition to the idioms beginning with believe, also see lead one to believe; make believe; you'd better believe it. Also see seeing is believing.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A cowboy hat, similar to what Boelter, 57, was believed to have been wearing, was found nearby.

From

Even then, he believes the industry might realistically see only about 6% of production return to US soil.

From

Colin Church, who chaired an independent review into incineration in Scotland, believes the shift to incinerators has been the right choice.

From

She said she also spotted a video crew and someone she believed to be Dr. Phil McGraw — the TV personality — sitting in an SUV.

From

This woman, believed to be 55, was found outside Los Angeles General Medical Center.

From

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When To Use

Spelling tips forĢżbelieve

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 bilieveHow to spell believe: The easiest way to remember how to spell believe is with the classic mnemonic device: ā€œI 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.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American HeritageĀ® Idioms Dictionary copyright Ā© 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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beliesbelieve it or not