belief

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A feeling that something is true or real.

   It's my belief that the thief is someone we know.

2. 2
   noun

   An idea or opinion that someone accepts as true.

   The ancient people held a belief in many gods.

3. 3
   noun

   A person's religious or moral conviction.

   I can't do that; it's against my beliefs.

4. 4
   noun

   Trust or faith, especially religious faith.

   She said it was her belief that carried her through the hard times.

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *laubō Proto-West Germanic *laubu Old English lēafa Middle English bileve English belief From Middle English bileve, from Old English lēafa, from Proto-West Germanic *laubu from Proto-Germanic *laubō. 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.

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