noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/bɪˈliː.vɪŋ/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/bɪˈli.vɪŋ/
General-American:/bi-/
General-American:/bə-/
CMU ARPABET:B IH0 L IY1 V IH0 NG
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act or process of having faith, trust, or confidence in.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Belief.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
present participle and gerund of believe
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the cognitive process that leads to convictions
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
seeing is believing
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: basic cognitive process
Narrower terms: doublethink
History
Etymology
From Middle English bilevinge, belewynge, equivalent to believe + -ing.
From Middle English bilevyng, belevand, bileveand, belefand, from Old English *belēfende, ġelīfende, ġelȳfende. Equivalent to believe + -ing.