Antonyms for beliefs


Grammar : Noun
Spell : bih-leef
Phonetic Transcription : bɪˈlif


Definition of beliefs

Origin :
  • late 12c., bileave, replacing Old English geleafa "belief, faith," from West Germanic *ga-laubon "to hold dear, esteem, trust" (cf. Old Saxon gilobo, Middle Dutch gelove, Old High German giloubo, German Glaube), from *galaub- "dear, esteemed," from intensive prefix *ga- + *leubh- "to care, desire, like, love" (see love (v.)). The prefix was altered on analogy of the verb believe. The distinction of the final consonant from that of believe developed 15c.
  • "The be-, which is not a natural prefix of nouns, was prefixed on the analogy of the vb. (where it is naturally an intensive) .... [OED]
  • Belief used to mean "trust in God," while faith meant "loyalty to a person based on promise or duty" (a sense preserved in keep one's faith, in good (or bad) faith and in common usage of faithful, faithless, which contain no notion of divinity). But faith, as cognate of Latin fides, took on the religious sense beginning in 14c. translations, and belief had by 16c. become limited to "mental acceptance of something as true," from the religious use in the sense of "things held to be true as a matter of religious doctrine" (a sense attested from early 13c.).
  • noun putting regard in as true
  • noun something regarded as true
Example sentences :
  • Not to be tedious, they had many other beliefs of a similar kind.
  • Extract from : « Little Dorrit » by Charles Dickens
  • Haven't other people as good a right to live their beliefs as you?
  • Extract from : « The Coryston Family » by Mrs. Humphry Ward
  • She was so loyal, so courageous in her beliefs, such a great little sportswoman.
  • Extract from : « The Law-Breakers » by Ridgwell Cullum
  • But doubtless he had this time touched her beliefs to the quick.
  • Extract from : « Doctor Pascal » by Emile Zola
  • "My beliefs can matter nothing," he compromised, and made her a valedictory bow.
  • Extract from : « The Lion's Skin » by Rafael Sabatini
  • Facts or no facts, you'd rather have your beliefs, wouldn't you?
  • Extract from : « Audrey Craven » by May Sinclair
  • Such Americans were, in the inevitable struggle, truly martyrs to their beliefs.
  • Extract from : « The Siege of Boston » by Allen French
  • The positiveness of their beliefs was a special source of wonder to him.
  • Extract from : « Lippincott's Magazine, September, 1885 » by Various
  • His son buried the silenced destroyer of systems, of hopes, of beliefs.
  • Extract from : « Victory » by Joseph Conrad
  • The beliefs which we have sketched are the materials out of which they also arose.
  • Extract from : « History of Religion » by Allan Menzies

Synonyms for beliefs

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019