belief

belief — noun

1. the state of being sure that someone or something is real, true, or worth trusti

1.nounB2
Definition

the state of being sure that someone or something is real, true, or worth trusting, even when proof may be limited.

Example

Ines's belief in her brother never wavered, even after the trial.

belief in + person showing trust

The villagers held a strong belief that the old well brought good luck.

belief that + clause for stating a conviction

Common collocations
  • strong belief
  • firm belief
  • deep belief
  • shake someone's belief
  • lose belief in
  • belief in God
Synonyms
  • faith

    stronger and often religious or emotional; trust without needing proof

  • conviction

    stronger and firmer than belief; suggests the feeling cannot easily be changed

  • trust

    focuses on relying on someone, while 'belief' focuses on accepting something as true

  • confidence

    stresses a calm sense of being sure, often in someone's ability rather than a fact

Antonyms
  • disbelief

    the feeling that something cannot be true

  • doubt

    weaker than 'disbelief'; an unsure feeling rather than a refusal to accept

Grammar Patterns

belief in + noun

belief that + clause

Usage Note

Usually uncountable in this sense. Often paired with 'in' before a person, idea, or quality, and with a 'that'-clause when stating what is believed. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense names the inner feeling of being sure, while sense 2 names the specific idea held.

Common Mistakes

I have belief on God.
I have belief in God.
use the preposition 'in', not 'on', after 'belief' for the thing or person trusted.
She has many beliefs in honesty.
She has a strong belief in honesty.
when meaning the feeling of certainty, 'belief' is uncountable and takes a singular adjective like 'strong' or 'firm'.

2. an idea, opinion, or rule that a person or group accepts as true — for example,

2.nounB2
Definition

an idea, opinion, or rule that a person or group accepts as true — for example, a religious teaching, a moral value, or a personal view about how the world works.

Example

Nikolai respected his grandmother's religious beliefs, even when he didn't share them.

collocation: religious beliefs (often plural)

Nikolai laughed off his grandmother's belief that eating carrots could improve his eyesight.

belief that + clause naming a specific traditional idea

Common collocations
  • religious beliefs
  • political beliefs
  • traditional beliefs
  • popular belief
  • challenge a belief
  • hold a belief
Synonyms
  • opinion

    weaker; a personal view that the speaker may not be sure of

  • view

    neutral and often individual; less tied to religion or tradition than 'belief'

  • conviction

    a belief held very strongly, often about right and wrong

  • doctrine

    formal; an official belief taught by a religion, party, or school of thought

Grammar Patterns

a belief that + clause

religious / political beliefs

Usage Note

Countable in this sense and very often plural ('beliefs'), especially with religion, politics, or culture. Frequently followed by a 'that'-clause naming the specific idea. Distinguish from sense 1: a person can hold many 'beliefs' (sense 2) but normally just one general 'belief' — the inner certainty — about a topic (sense 1).

Common Mistakes

It is a wide belief that money brings happiness.
It is a widespread belief that money brings happiness.
the fixed adjective is 'widespread', 'common', or 'popular', not 'wide'.
Her religion belief is important to her.
Her religious beliefs are important to her.
use the adjective 'religious' before 'beliefs', and the noun is usually plural here.
Idioms

beyond belief

idiom

so extreme — usually so good, bad, or strange — that it is hard to accept as real.

The damage to the old library after the flood was beyond belief.

The traffic in Bangkok last Friday afternoon was beyond belief.

to the best of my belief

idiom

as far as the speaker is sure, based on what they currently know — used when they cannot fully promise it is true.

To the best of my belief, the keys are still on Leila's kitchen table.

No staff member, to the best of my belief, has ever opened that locked cabinet.

beggar belief

idiom

to be so surprising or unreasonable that the listener finds it almost impossible to accept.

The mayor's excuses for the missing funds simply beggar belief.

It beggars belief that the school sent six-year-olds home alone during the typhoon.

beggar belief/description

idiom

Something is so extreme or shocking that it is hard to accept or describe.

The amount of waste produced by the factory beggars belief.

How could anyone be so cruel? It beggars description.

to the best of your knowledge/belief

idiom

Based on what you know, but you are not completely certain.

To the best of my knowledge, the meeting is still on.

Is the report accurate to the best of your belief?

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe a positive feeling of certainty, but each has its own flavour. 'Belief' is the most general word for accepting that something is real or true, with or without strong evidence. 'Faith' is stronger and often emotional or religious — it implies trust that does not depend on proof, as in 'faith in God' or 'faith in her son'. 'Conviction' is firmer than belief and suggests the feeling has been thought through and will not change easily, often about right and wrong. 'Trust' shifts the focus from ideas to people, meaning you rely on someone's honesty or skill. 'Confidence' is calmer and more practical, usually about ability: a teacher might have confidence in a student's English while also holding a deeper belief in that student's character.

belief ↗faith ↗conviction ↗trust ↗confidence ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • belief system
  • belief in God
  • religious beliefs
  • political beliefs
  • core beliefs

Adverbs

Phrases

  • hold a belief
  • share a belief
  • shake someone's belief
  • lose belief in
  • challenge a belief
  • stick to your beliefs

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'belief' comes from Old English 'geleafa', meaning trust or faith, and is closely related to the verb 'believe'. It shares roots with German 'Glaube' (faith) and goes back to a Proto-Germanic word built around the idea of 'holding something dear'. In Middle English the prefix changed and the spelling settled near the modern form by the 1300s. Originally the word was strongly tied to religious trust, but over the centuries its meaning widened to cover any feeling of being sure, as well as the specific ideas or opinions a person holds.