Belief and Love Share a Root
A belief is something accepted as true. The Old English word behind it is the same one that gives us love.
A belief is an acceptance that something is true. Its ancestry is affectionate rather than logical: *belief* comes from a root meaning to hold dear, the same root that gives us *love* and *leave* in the sense of permission. To believe someone was originally to hold them dear enough to trust them.
- Something accepted as true. *A firm belief.*
- Religious faith. *Freedom of belief.*
- Trust in someone. *Belief in her ability.*
- Beyond belief — extraordinary. *The noise was beyond belief.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | belief | A common belief. |
| Plural | beliefs | Religious beliefs. |
| Verb | believe | I believe you. |
| Adjective | believable | A believable account. |
| Person | believer | A true believer. |
How it is used in a sentence
- It is my belief that he is wrong.Formal statement of opinion.
- The plural is beliefs, not believes.F becomes ves only in the verb.
- Beyond belief.Too extreme to accept.
Belief, faith, opinion
- Belief — acceptance that something is true
- Faith — belief held without or beyond proof
- Opinion — a view held, open to disagreement
- Conviction — a firmly held belief
- Creed — a formal statement of shared beliefs
From Old English *geleafa*, from a Germanic root meaning to hold dear or love — the same root behind *love*, *lief* and German *glauben*.
Beliefs or believes?
Beliefs is the plural noun. Believes is the verb with he, she or it.
Are belief and love related?
Yes. Both descend from a root meaning to hold dear. Trusting and cherishing were the same idea.