Belief I People Bɪˈliːf Contrary Popular Incident Shaken

• i admire his passionate belief in what he is doing.
• belief in god/democracy
• the incident has shaken my belief (= made me have less confidence) in the police.
• she acted in the belief that she was doing good.

belief

1. a strong feeling that something/somebody exists or is true; confidence that something/somebody is good or right
• I admire his passionate belief in what he is doing.
• belief in God/democracy
• The incident has shaken my belief (= made me have less confidence) in the police.
2. an opinion about something; something that you think is true
• She acted in the belief that she was doing good.
• Contrary to popular belief (= in spite of what people may think), he was not responsible for the tragedy.
• There is a general belief that things will soon get better.
3. something that you believe, especially as part of your religion
• religious/political beliefs
• A society should be judged on its beliefs and values.
4. to be too extreme, shocking, etc. to believe/describe
• It beggars belief how things could have got this bad.
5. (in a way that is) too great, difficult, etc. to be believed
• Dissatisfaction with the government has grown beyond belief.
• icy air that was cold beyond belief
• It is beyond belief that anyone could commit such a crime.
6. as far as you know
• He never made a will, to the best of my knowledge.

Extra Examples

• Contrary to popular belief, deserts are not always hot.
• Contrary to popular belief, rainforests are not jungles through which you have to slash a path.
• Each religion has its set of beliefs.
• He shared his father’s belief that people should work hard for their living.
• He tried to impose his beliefs on other people.
• Here the apostle Peter affirms his belief that the scriptures are ‘inspired’.
• I have very firm beliefs about moral issues.
• I think the rights and wrongs of eating meat are a matter of personal belief.
• I took the job in the mistaken belief that I would be able to stay in London.
• It beggars belief how things could have got this bad.
• She clung to the belief that he would come back to her.
• She did it in the belief that it would help her career.
• She has lost her belief in God.
• She was strict with her children in the genuine belief that it was the right thing to do.
• The Labour Party must stick to its beliefs.
• The child’s death shook her belief in God.
• The exam results encouraged the belief that he was a good teacher.
• The people still follow their traditional beliefs.
• There is a belief among young people that education is a waste of time.
• They had a shared belief in the power of education.
• They were persecuted for their religious beliefs.
• This latest evidence strengthens our belief that the government is doing the right thing.
• You must respect other people’s beliefs.
• a belief in God
• an attempt to reconcile apparently opposite beliefs
• beliefs about the origin of the universe
• the basic beliefs of Christianity
• Belief in God is more than a matter of logic.
• Contrary to popular belief he was not involved in the affair.
• He insisted that giving blood was against his religious beliefs.
• It’s my belief that she’s telling the truth.
• People who did not subscribe to the dominant beliefs of society were widely persecuted.
• She acted in the belief that she was doing the right thing.
• The beliefs of a minority have come to dominate the political agenda.
• The incident has shaken my belief in the police.
• Those holding Socialist beliefs were expelled from the organization.
• We remain united in our belief in democracy.
• You need to examine your own attitudes and beliefs.

Word Origin

• Middle English: alteration of Old English gelēafa; compare with believe.