belief

English

Etymology

From Middle English bileve, from Old English lēafa, from Proto-Germanic *laubô. Compare German Glaube (“faith, belief”).

The replacement of final /v/ with /f/ is due to the analogy of noun-verb pairs with /f/ in the noun but /v/ in the verb, creating a pair belief : believe on the model of e.g. grief : grieve or proof : prove.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /bɪˈliːf/, /bəˈliːf/
Audio (US) (file)
Rhymes: -iːf
Hyphenation: be‧lief

Noun

belief (countable and uncountable, plural beliefs)

Mental acceptance of a claim as true.
It's my belief that the thief is somebody known to us.
- 2013 December 6, George Monbiot, “Why I'm eating my words on veganism – again”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 26, page 48:
  The belief that there is no conflict between [livestock] farming and arable production also seems to be unfounded: by preventing the growth of trees and other deep vegetation in the hills and by compacting the soil, grazing animals cause a cycle of flash floods and drought, sporadically drowning good land downstream and reducing the supply of irrigation water.
Faith or trust in the reality of something; often based upon one's own reasoning, trust in a claim, desire of actuality, and/or evidence considered.
My belief is that there is a bear in the woods. Bill said he saw one.
Based on this data, it is our belief that X does not occur.
(countable) Something believed.
The ancient people have a belief in many deities.
(uncountable) The quality or state of believing.
My belief that it will rain tomorrow is strong.
(uncountable) Religious faith.
She often said it was her belief that carried her through the hard times.
(in the plural) One's religious or moral convictions.
I can't do that. It's against my beliefs.

Derived terms

beggar belief
beliefful
belief system
beyond belief
contrary to popular belief
disbelief
forebelief
make belief
self-belief
unbelief
wanbelief

Related terms

believe

Translations

mental acceptance of a claim as truth

Arabic: اِعْتِقَاد‎ m (iʿtiqād)
Armenian: հավատ (hy) (havat), վստահություն (hy) (vstahutʿyun)
Asturian: creyencia f, creencia f
Azerbaijani: inanc
Belarusian: ве́ра f (vjéra)
Bulgarian: вя́ра (bg) f (vjára), дове́рие (bg) n (dovérie)
Catalan: creença (ca) f
Cherokee: ᎪᎯᏳᏗ (gohiyudi)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 相信 (zh) (xiāngxìn), 信心 (zh) (xìnxīn)
Czech: víra (cs) f
Danish: tro (da) c
Dutch: geloof (nl) n
Esperanto: konvinko
Estonian: usk
Faroese: trúgv f
Finnish: usko (fi)
French: croyance (fr) f
Friulian: crodince f
Galician: crenza (gl) f
Georgian: რწმენა (rc̣mena), დაჯერება (daǯereba)
German: Glauben (de) m
Greek: πίστη (el) f (písti), πιστεύω (el) n (pistévo)
Guaraní: jerovia (gn)
Hebrew: האמנה‎ (he)
Hindi: विश्वास (hi) m (viśvās), धारणा (hi) f (dhārṇā)
Hungarian: hit (hu)
Indonesian: kepercayaan (id)
Italian: credito (it) m, credenza (it) f, convinzione (it) f
Japanese: 確信 (ja) (かくしん, kakushin)
Kazakh: сенім (kk) (senım)
Korean: 믿음 (ko) (mideum)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: باوەر‎ (ku) (bawer), بروا‎ (birwa)
Northern Kurdish: bawer (ku)
Kyrgyz: ишеним (ky) (işenim), ишенүү (ky) (işenüü), ишенич (ky) (işeniç), көз караш (ky) (köz karaş), диний ишеним (ky) (diniy işenim)
Latin: fides f
Latvian: ticība (lv) f
Macedonian: вера f (vera)
Mongolian: итгэл (mn) (itgel)
Navajo: oodlą́
Norman: crianche f
Occitan: cresença (oc) f
Old Church Slavonic:
Cyrillic: вѣра f (věra)
Old East Slavic: вѣра f (věra)
Old English: ġelēafa m
Persian: باور‎ (fa) (bâvar), اعتقاد‎ (fa) (e'teqâd)
Polish: przekonanie (pl) n, wiara (pl) f
Portuguese: crença (pt) f
Romanian: credință (ro)
Russian: ве́ра (ru) f (véra), дове́рие (ru) n (dovérije) (trust), убежде́ние (ru) n (ubeždénije) (conviction)
Scottish Gaelic: beachd m, barail f
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: веровање n, вјеровање n, вера f, вјера f
Roman: verovanje (sh) n, vjerovanje (sh) n, vera (sh) f, vjera (sh) f
Slovak: viera f
Slovene: vera (sl) f
Spanish: creencia (es) f
Swedish: tro (sv) c
Tagalog: paniwala, paniniwala
Tajik: эътиқод (tg) (eʾtiqod), бовар (bovar)
Tamil: நம்பிக்கை (ta) (nampikkai)
Ukrainian: ві́ра f (víra)
Uyghur: ئېتىقاد‎ (ëtiqad)
Uzbek: eʻtiqod
Walloon: creyance (wa) f
Zazaki: bawer

something believed

Armenian: համոզմունք (hy) (hamozmunkʿ)
Asturian: creyencia f, creencia f
Azerbaijani: inanc
Catalan: creença (ca) f
Cherokee: ᎪᎯᏳᏗ (gohiyudi)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 信念 (zh) (xìnniàn)
Czech: víra (cs) f
Dutch: geloof (nl) f
Esperanto: kredo
Estonian: usk, uskumus
Finnish: usko (fi)
Galician: crenza (gl) f
Georgian: მრწამსი (mrc̣amsi), შეხედულება (šexeduleba)
German: Glaube (de) m
Greek: δοξασία (el) f (doxasía), δόγμα (el) n (dógma), πίστη (el) f (písti)
Hungarian: hit (hu), hiedelem (hu)
Interlingua: credentia
Italian: credenza (it) f, opinione (it) f
Japanese: 信念 (ja) (しんねん, shinnen), 信条 (ja) (しんじょう, shinjō)
Korean: 믿음 (ko) (mideum)
Old English: ġelēafa m
Persian: باور‎ (fa) (bâvar)
Polish: wiara (pl) f, przekonanie (pl) n (conviction)
Portuguese: crença (pt) f
Russian: ве́ра (ru) f (véra), убежде́ние (ru) n (ubeždénije) (conviction)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: вера f, вјера f
Roman: vera (sh) f, vjera (sh) f
Swedish: tro (sv) c
Telugu: నమ్మకము (te) (nammakamu), విశ్వాసము (te) (viśvāsamu)

the quality or state of believing

Bulgarian: вяра (bg) (vjara)
Catalan: creença (ca) f
Czech: víra (cs) f
Dutch: geloof (nl) f
Estonian: usk, lootus
Finnish: usko (fi), luottamus (fi)
French: conviction (fr) f
Galician: crenza (gl) f
German: Glaube (de) m
Greek: δοξασία (el) f (doxasía), δόγμα (el) n (dógma)
Italian: convinzione (it) f
Old English: ġelēafa m
Persian: باور‎ (fa) (bâvar)
Polish: wiara (pl) f
Portuguese: crença (pt) f
Romanian: convingere (ro) f, convicțiune (ro) f
Scottish Gaelic: beachd m, barail f
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: веровање n, вјеровање n
Roman: verovanje (sh) n, vjerovanje (sh) n
Swedish: tro (sv) c
Telugu: నమ్మకము (te) (nammakamu), విశ్వాసము (te) (viśvāsamu)

religious faith

Arabic: عقيدَة‎ (ar)
Bulgarian: вя́ра (bg) (vjára)
Catalan: creença (ca) f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 信仰 (zh) (xìnyǎng), 信教 (zh) (xìnjiào)
Czech: víra (cs) f
Dalmatian: faid f
Dutch: geloof (nl) f
Estonian: usk
Faroese: trúgv f
Finnish: usko (fi)
French: foi (fr) f, croyance (fr) f
Galician: fe (gl) f, crenza (gl) f
Georgian: მრწამსი (mrc̣amsi), რჯული (rǯuli)
German: Glauben (de) m
Greek: πίστη (el) f (písti)
Guaraní: jerovia (gn)
Indonesian: keyakinan (id)
Italian: fede (it), credo (it), credenza (it)
Japanese: 信仰 (ja) (しんこう, shinkō)
Khmer: ជំនឿ (km) (chom neur)
Korean: 신앙 (ko) (sinang), 믿음 (ko) (mideum)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: بڕوا‎ (ku) (birrwa), باوەر‎ (ku) (bawer)
Latin: fides f
Malayalam: വിശ്വാസം (ml) (viśvāsaṃ)
Navajo: oodlą́ʼ (sheʼoodlą́ʼ, my belief)
Norman: crianche f
Old English: ġelēafa m
Polish: wiara (pl) f, wierzenie (pl) n
Portuguese: crença (pt) f
Quechua: iñi
Romanian: credință (ro)
Russian: ве́ра (ru) f (véra), ве́рование (ru) n (vérovanije)
Scottish Gaelic: creideamh m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: вера f, вјера f
Roman: vera (sh) f, vjera (sh) f
Swedish: tro (sv) c
Telugu: మతవిశ్వాశం (mataviśvāśaṁ)
Zulu: ukholo (zu)

religious or moral convictions

Arabic: إيمان‎ (ar) (ʾīmān)
Armenian: համոզմունք (hy) (hamozmunkʿ)
Bulgarian: вяра (bg) (vjara), убеждение (bg) (ubeždenie)
Czech: přesvědčení (cs) n, víra (cs) f
Dutch: geloof (nl) f
Estonian: veendumus
Finnish: vakaumus (fi)
Galician: crenza (gl) f
German: Glauben (de) m
Greek: πιστεύω (el) n (pistévo)
Hungarian: hit (hu), meggyőződés (hu)
Italian: convinzioni (it) pl or f
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: بڕوا‎ (ku) (birrwa)باوەر‎ (ku) (bawer)
Malayalam: വിശ്വാസം (ml) (viśvāsaṃ)
Old English: ġelēafa m
Polish: wiara (pl) f, wierzenie (pl) n
Portuguese: crença (pt) f
Romanian: credință (ro)
Scottish Gaelic: creideamh m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: вера f, вјера f
Roman: vera (sh) f, vjera (sh) f
Swedish: tro (sv) c

a wishing of case or circumstance to be true

Estonian: usk
Finnish: usko (fi)
Italian: fiducia (it) f
Korean: 바람 (ko) (baram)
Polish: wiara (pl) f
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: уверење n, увјерење n
Roman: uverenje (sh) n, uvjerenje (sh) n

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Breton: ^{(please verify)} kredenn (br) f
Cebuano: ^{(please verify)} pagtuo
French: ^{(please verify)} croyance (fr) f
Guaraní: ^{(please verify)} jerovia (gn)
Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} keyakinan (id) , ^{(please verify)} kepercayaan (id)
Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} credentia
Maltese: ^{(please verify)} twemmien
Norwegian: ^{(please verify)} tro (no) c
Romanian: ^{(please verify)} credință (ro) f
Spanish: ^{(please verify)} creencia (es)
Swahili: ^{(please verify)} imani (sw)
Tamil: ^{(please verify)} நம்பிக்கை (ta) (nampikkai), ^{(please verify)} நம்பகம் (ta) (nampakam)
Tupinambá: ^{(please verify)} îerobîara
Turkish: ^{(please verify)} inanç (tr)

Anagrams

befile, belfie

Dutch

Pronunciation

Audio (file)

Verb

belief

imperative of believen

German

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [bəˈliːf]
Audio (file)
Hyphenation: be‧lief

Verb

belief

first/third-person singular preterite of belaufen