disbelief

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌdɪsbɪˈlif/ UK /ˌdɪsbɪˈliːf/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
inability or refusal to accept that something is true or real

She stared in disbelief at the wreckage that had once been her home.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · inability or refusal to... incredulity skepticism doubt distrust unbelief dubiety

Opposites

belief credence faith trust conviction

Word family

Related forms disbelieve belief believe

Etymology

A 17th-century formation from dis- ('not, reversal') plus belief; belief is from Middle English bileve, from Old English gelēafa ('faith, trust'), of Germanic origin, related to believe and love.

dis- Latin gelēafa Old English *galaubō Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# disbelief

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌdɪsbɪˈlif/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌdɪsbɪˈliːf/

## Meanings
1. inability or refusal to accept that something is true or real

## Examples
- She stared in disbelief at the wreckage that had once been her home.

## Synonyms
- incredulity
- skepticism
- doubt
- distrust
- unbelief
- dubiety

## Antonyms
- belief
- credence
- faith
- trust
- conviction

## Related Forms
- disbelieve
- belief
- believe

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: dis-
- Root: gelēafa
- Root: *galaubō

## Etymology
A 17th-century formation from dis- ('not, reversal') plus belief; belief is from Middle English bileve, from Old English gelēafa ('faith, trust'), of Germanic origin, related to believe and love.

## AI Etymology
Disbelief has this etymological history: A 17th-century formation from dis- ('not, reversal') plus belief; belief is from Middle English bileve, from Old English gelēafa ('faith, trust'), of Germanic origin, related to believe and love. The etymological trail includes Latin dis-, Old English gelēafa, and Proto-Germanic *galaubō. As a noun, disbelief names inability or refusal to accept that something is true or real. The same family is visible in related forms such as disbelieve, belief, and believe.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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