believe
A1Neutral
Definition
Meaning
to accept that something is true or that someone is telling the truth
to hold an opinion, to think; to have religious faith; to trust in the value or existence of something
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a verb; can express factual belief, opinion, or trust. The mental state is less about proof and more about acceptance. 'Believe that' is followed by a clause; 'believe in' is followed by a noun or -ing form and expresses trust/faith in the existence or reliability of something/someone.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant syntactic or semantic differences. Spelling is identical.
Connotations
Neutral in both varieties.
Frequency
Extremely high frequency in both, with no measurable variation.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
believe (that) clausebelieve in + NP/V-ingbelieve + NP + to-infinitive (formal)believe + direct objectpassive: be believed to be/doVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “believe it or not”
- “make believe”
- “would you believe it?”
- “seeing is believing”
- “believe your eyes/ears”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Expressing confidence in a strategy, product, or team: 'We believe this merger will create shareholder value.'
Academic
Stating a scholarly opinion or interpretation: 'Many historians believe the treaty was a primary cause.'
Everyday
General statements of opinion or acceptance: 'I believe the post office is closed on Sundays.'
Technical
Rare in pure technical writing; more common in discussions of theories or models: 'Most cosmologists believe the universe is expanding.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- I believe his story is credible.
- Do you believe in ghosts?
- She is believed to be abroad.
- They firmly believe in the NHS.
American English
- I believe his story is credible.
- Do you believe in ghosts?
- She is believed to be overseas.
- They firmly believe in public healthcare.
adverb
British English
- 'Is it true?' he asked believably.
- The actor cried believably.
American English
- 'Is it true?' he asked believably.
- The actor cried believably.
adjective
British English
- She gave a believable performance.
- The alibi was hardly believable.
American English
- She gave a believable performance.
- The alibi was hardly believable.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I believe you.
- Do you believe in magic?
- I can't believe it!
- Scientists believe climate change is a serious problem.
- I believe we should leave now.
- He made me believe he was honest.
- Contrary to popular belief, the strategy proved successful.
- She is widely believed to be the leading candidate.
- I find it hard to believe that he was unaware of the rules.
- The defendant is believed to have fled the jurisdiction.
- His account is scarcely believable, given the contradictory evidence.
- They espouse a deeply held belief in individual liberty.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the word LIE in the middle: To beLIEve something, you first accept it's not a LIE.
Conceptual Metaphor
BELIEF IS POSSESSION (He holds the belief), BELIEF IS A JOURNEY (I'm led to believe), BELIEVING IS SEEING (I see your point).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'believe' where Russian uses 'доверять' to mean 'trust/confide in a person'. Use 'trust' for that. 'Believe' is for facts/ideas. 'Believe in' for existence/principle ('верить в').
- In Russian, 'думать' often covers 'think/suppose/believe'. In English, 'believe' is stronger for convictions.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'I am believing you.' (Avoid progressive for stative sense) Correct: 'I believe you.'
- Incorrect: 'I believe to this idea.' Correct: 'I believe in this idea.' or 'I believe that this idea is good.'
- Confusing 'I don't believe you.' (you are lying) vs. 'I don't believe in you.' (I lack faith in your abilities).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'believe' CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Believe' (transitive) means to accept a statement as true or to think something. 'Believe in' means to have faith in the existence, value, or reliability of something (e.g., God, ghosts, someone's abilities, a principle).
No, 'believe' is a stative verb when expressing a mental state or opinion. Use the simple form: 'I believe'. The continuous form is only used in very rare, informal contexts to emphasize a temporary, evolving state (e.g., 'I'm actually believing his story less and less'), but this is not standard.
Yes, but typically in the passive voice or formal report structures: 'He is believed to be rich.' / 'I believe him to be honest.' (formal). More commonly, we use a 'that'-clause: 'I believe (that) he is honest.'
Using 'believe' to mean 'trust a person with a secret or task'. In English, we use 'trust' for that (e.g., 'I trust you with my money'). 'Believe' is for accepting the truth of what someone says or a fact (e.g., 'I believe your explanation').