Believe \Be*lieve"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Believed; p. pr. & vb. n. Believing.]

[OE. bileven (with pref. be- for AS. ge-), fr. AS. gel?fan, gel?fan; akin to D. gelooven, OHG. gilouban, G. glauben, OS. gil?bian, Goth. galaubjan, and Goth. liubs dear. See Lief, a., Leave, n.]

To exercise belief in; to credit upon the authority or testimony of another; to be persuaded of the truth of, upon evidence furnished by reasons, arguments, and deductions of the mind, or by circumstances other than personal knowledge; to regard or accept as true; to place confidence in; to think; to consider; as, to believe a person, a statement, or a doctrine. [1913 Webster]

Our conqueror (whom I now Of force believe almighty). --Milton. [1913 Webster]

King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets ? --Acts xxvi. 27. [1913 Webster]

Often followed by a dependent clause. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. --Acts viii. 37. [1913 Webster]

Syn: See Expect. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

Believe \Be*lieve"\, v. i.

1. To have a firm persuasion, esp. of the truths of religion; to have a persuasion approaching to certainty; to exercise belief or faith. [1913 Webster]

Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. --Mark ix. 24. [1913 Webster]

With the heart man believeth unto righteousness. --Rom. x. 10. [1913 Webster]

2. To think; to suppose. [1913 Webster]

I will not believe so meanly of you. --Fielding. [1913 Webster]

To believe in.
   (a) To believe that the subject of the thought (if a person or thing) exists, or (if an event) that it has occurred, or will occur; -- as, to believe in the resurrection of the dead. "She does not believe in Jupiter." --J. H. Newman.
   (b) To believe that the character, abilities, and purposes of a person are worthy of entire confidence; -- especially that his promises are wholly trustworthy. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." --John xiv. 1.
   (c) To believe that the qualities or effects of an action or state are beneficial: as, to believe in sea bathing, or in abstinence from alcoholic beverages.

To believe on, to accept implicitly as an object of religious trust or obedience; to have faith in. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

86 Moby Thesaurus words for "believe": accept, accept for gospel, accept implicitly, accredit, admit, allow, assume, be afraid, be certain, be pious, be religious, believe in, believe without reservation, buy, conceive, conclude, confide in, conjecture, consider, credit, daresay, deduce, deem, divine, dream, expect, fancy, fear God, feel, gather, give faith to, grant, have confidence in, have faith, have faith in, hold, hope in, imagine, infer, keep the faith, let, let be, love God, maintain, make believe, opine, place confidence in, place reliance in, prefigure, presume, presuppose, presurmise, pretend, provisionally accept, put faith in, put trust in, receive, reckon, rely on, rely upon, repose confidence in, repose in, repute, rest in, say, sense, set store by, suppose, surmise, suspect, swallow, swear by, take, take for, take for granted, take it, take on faith, take on trust, take stock in, take to be, think, trust, trust in, trust in God, trust to, understand

Source: Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
 

believe

Source: WordNet (r) 2.0
 

Believe \Be*lieve"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Believed; p. pr. & vb. n. Believing.]

[OE. bileven (with pref. be- for AS. ge-), fr. AS. gel?fan, gel?fan; akin to D. gelooven, OHG. gilouban, G. glauben, OS. gil?bian, Goth. galaubjan, and Goth. liubs dear. See Lief, a., Leave, n.]

To exercise belief in; to credit upon the authority or testimony of another; to be persuaded of the truth of, upon evidence furnished by reasons, arguments, and deductions of the mind, or by circumstances other than personal knowledge; to regard or accept as true; to place confidence in; to think; to consider; as, to believe a person, a statement, or a doctrine.

Our conqueror (whom I now Of force believe almighty). --Milton.

King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets ? --Acts xxvi. 27.

Often followed by a dependent clause. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. --Acts viii. 37.

Syn: See Expect.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Believe \Be*lieve"\, v. i.

1. To have a firm persuasion, esp. of the truths of religion; to have a persuasion approaching to certainty; to exercise belief or faith.

Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. --Mark ix. 24.

With the heart man believeth unto righteousness. --Rom. x. 10.

2. To think; to suppose.

I will not believe so meanly of you. --Fielding.

To believe in.
   (a) To believe that the subject of the thought (if a person or thing) exists, or (if an event) that it has occurred, or will occur; -- as, to believe in the resurrection of the dead. ``She does not believe in Jupiter.'' --J. H. Newman.
   (b) To believe that the character, abilities, and purposes of a person are worthy of entire confidence; -- especially that his promises are wholly trustworthy. ``Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.'' --John xiv. 1.
   (c) To believe that the qualities or effects of an action or state are beneficial: as, to believe in sea bathing, or in abstinence from alcoholic beverages.

To believe on, to accept implicitly as an object of religious trust or obedience; to have faith in.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)