believe Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb accept as true; take to be true
    • I believed his report
    • We didn't believe his stories from the War
    • She believes in spirits
  2. verb judge or regard; look upon; judge
    conceive; think; consider.
    • I think he is very smart
    • I believe her to be very smart
    • I think that he is her boyfriend
    • The racist conceives such people to be inferior
  3. verb be confident about something
    trust.
    • I believe that he will come back from the war
  4. verb follow a credo; have a faith; be a believer
    • When you hear his sermons, you will be able to believe, too
  5. verb credit with veracity
    • You cannot believe this man
    • Should we believe a publication like the National Enquirer?

WordNet

Be*lieve" transitive verb
Etymology
OE. bileven (with pref. be- for AS. ge-), fr. AS. gelfan, gelfan; akin to D. gelooven, OHG. gilouban, G. glauben, OS. gilbian, Goth. galaubjan, and Goth. liubs dear. See Lief, a., Leave, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Believed present participle & verbal noun Believing
Definitions
  1. To exercise belief in; to credit upon the authority or testimony of another; to be persuaded of the truth of, upon evidence furnished by reasons, arguments, and deductions of the mind, or by circumstances other than personal knowledge; to regard or accept as true; to place confidence in; to think; to consider; as, to believe a person, a statement, or a doctrine.
    Our conqueror (whom I now Of force believe almighty). Milton.
    King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets ? Acts xxvi.7.
    Often followed by a dependent clause. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Acts viii. 37.
    Syn. -- See Expect.
Be*lieve" intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To have a firm persuasion, esp. of the truths of religion; to have a persuasion approaching to certainty; to exercise belief or faith.
    Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. Mark ix. 24.
    With the heart man believeth unto righteousness. Rom. x. 10.
  2. To think; to suppose.
    I will not believe so meanly of you. Fielding.

Webster 1913