believe in

verb

have a firm conviction as to the goodness of something (Freq. 24)

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John believes in oat bran

• Hypernyms: ↑believe

• Verb Frames:

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Somebody ——s something

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Somebody ——s VERB-ing

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1) have faith in the truth or existence of

I believe in God

2) be of the opinion that (something) is right, proper, or desirable

I don't believe in censorship of the arts | he didn't believe in sex before marriage

3) have confidence in (a person or a course of action)

he had finally begun to believe in her

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believe in [phrasal verb]

1 believe in (something)

1 a : to have faith or confidence in the existence of (something)

Do you believe in ghosts?

1 b : to have trust in the goodness or value of (something)

She believes in (the value of) regular exercise.

They believed in liberty for all.

I believe in working hard to achieve success.

She doesn't believe in using pesticides. [=she doesn't believe that it's right to use pesticides; she believes that pesticides do more harm than good]

2 believe in (someone) : to have trust in the goodness or ability of (someone)

Despite his problems, his parents still believe in him.

She believes in herself and in her abilities.

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Main Entry: ↑believe