believe
English
/bɪˈliːv/, /bɪˈliv/
verb
Definitions
- (transitive) To accept as true, particularly without absolute certainty (i.e., as opposed to knowing)
- (transitive) To accept that someone is telling the truth.
- (intransitive) To have religious faith; to believe in a greater truth.
- (transitive) To opine, think, reckon
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English beleven (leave behind) inherited from Old English belīefan (believe) derived from Proto-Germanic *galaubijaną (believe, hold valuable pleasing, have faith).
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*galaubijaną
Gloss
believe, hold valuable pleasing, have faith
Concept
Semantic Field
Cognition
Ontological Category
Action/Process
Emoji
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- believability English
- believable English
- believableness English
- believably English
- believer English
- believest English
- believeth English
- believing English
- believingly English
- crypto-believer English
- disbelievable English
- disbelieve English
- disbeliever English
- forebelieve English
- lemman English
- misbelieve English
- misbeliever English
- misbelieving English
- non-believer English
- nonbeliever English
- nonbelieving English
- rebelieve English
- unbe-fucking-lievable English
- unbelievable English
- unbelieve English
- unbeliever English
- unfuckingbelievable English
- wanbeliever English
- glauben German
- glaublich German
- glaubwürdig German
- gläubig German
- gelofte Dutch, Flemish
- geloven Dutch, Flemish
- wangeloven Dutch, Flemish
- *lewbʰ- Proto-Indo-European
- *galaubijaną Proto-Germanic
- *leubaz Proto-Germanic
- belīefan Old English
- geliefan Old English
- leoflic Old English
- leofwende Old English
- lēof Old English
- beleven Middle English
- bilevable Middle English
- bilevar Middle English
- bileven Middle English
- bilevyng Middle English
- leef Middle English
- lemman Middle English
- misbelieven Middle English
- belib Cebuano
- gelôven Middle Dutch
- *gilouven Old High German
- gilouben Old High German
- glo Afrikaans
- gelouben Middle High German
- 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 Gothic
- 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌾𐌰𐌽 Gothic
- 𐌿𐌽𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌾𐌰𐌽 Gothic
- *galaubijan gmw-pro
- gilōven Old Dutch
- gilovian Old Saxon
- gilōvian Old Saxon
- gilōƀian Old Saxon
- lief Scots
- leauwe Western Frisian
- lēva Old Frisian
- lemman
- believer
- believest
- believeth
- rebelieve
- unbelieve
- believing
- disbelieve
- believable
- believably
- misbelieve
- unbeliever
- disbeliever
- forebelieve
- nonbeliever
- wanbeliever
- believingly
- misbeliever
- non-believer
- unbelievable
- misbelieving
- nonbelieving
- believability
- disbelievable
- believableness
- crypto-believer
- unfuckingbelievable
- unbe-fucking-lievable