believe Hear it!

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believe definition

be·lieve (bə lēv′, bē-)

transitive verb believed -·lieved′, believing -·liev′·ing

  1. to take as true, real, etc.
  2. to have confidence in a statement or promise of (another person)
  3. to suppose or think

Etymology: ME bileven < bi, be- + -leven, contr. < ileven < OE geliefan < IE base *leubh-, to like, desire > love, lief, L libido

intransitive verb

  1. to have trust or confidence (in) as being true, real, good, etc.
  2. to have religious faith
  3. to suppose or think

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms believe idiom

believe Synonyms

believe

v.

  1. To accept as true

    accept, hold, think, conclude, have faith, be convinced, be certain, be confident, deem, understand, regard, take at one's word, consider, affirm, maintain, be of the opinion, postulate, opine, conceive, give credence to, credit, have no doubt, feel sure, rest assured, swear by, take one's word for, cherish a belief, nurture a belief, keep the faith, be credulous, entertain a belief, hold a belief, attach some weight to, take stock in, put stock in, take on faith, take as gospel, doubt not, buy*, swallow*. *

    Antonyms doubt, deny*, suspect. *

  2. To assume

    suppose, guess, gather; see assume 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

believe Usage Examples

Object

  • everyone: Do you believe that everyone you know has been affected by the Second World War?

Preposition: that

  • government: Those who do not believe that the British Government is capable of such infamy may be tempted to vent their anger on the messenger.

Modifying Another Word

  • firmly: He is also a proud man who firmly believes he can engineer happiness for his family by sheltering them from his own emotions.

Used with why or when

  • that: We were determined to reach a fair settlement for the taxpayer, and I believe that has now been achieved.

Preposition: in

  • resurrection: Whether or not you believe in an after life, why might people want to believe in resurrection?
believe usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

believe quotes

C'est bon pour les hommes de croire aux ide¤  es et de mourir pour elles. It isgood for people to believe in ideas and die for them.

-Anouilh,Jean

If you don't believe it, you won't understand it.

-St Augustine originally Aurelius Augustinus

'I don't know they're true,' he said.'I believe them because it's fun to believe them.'

-Bach, Richard

believe quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"believe." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/believe>

APA Style

believe. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/believe

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