{
    "term": "belief",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "a strong feeling that something/somebody exists or is true; confidence that something/somebody is good or right",
            "sensetop": "belief in something/somebodybelief that…",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I admire his passionate belief in what he is doing.",
                    "contextForm": "belief in something/somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "belief in God/democracy"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The incident has shaken my belief *(= made me have less confidence)* in the police."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They share a belief that there is life after death.",
                    "contextForm": "belief that…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I think the rights and wrongs of eating meat are a matter of personal belief."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She has lost her belief in God."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They had a shared belief in the power of education."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We remain united in our belief in democracy."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Religion and festivals"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["absolute", "deep-seated", "deeply held"],
                "… of beliefs": ["set", "system"],
                "verb + belief": ["espouse", "have", "hold"],
                "belief + verb": ["persist"],
                "belief + noun": ["system"],
                "preposition": ["beyond belief", "in the belief that", "belief about"],
                "phrases": ["contrary to popular belief"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "an opinion about something; something that you think is true",
            "sensetop": "belief that…in the belief that…",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "There is a general belief that things will soon get better.",
                    "contextForm": "belief that…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "There is a widespread belief that multinationals have too much power."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a **widely/commonly held belief**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She acted in the belief that she was doing good.",
                    "contextForm": "in the belief that…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I took the job in the **mistaken belief** that I would be able to stay in London."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**Contrary to popular belief** *(= in spite of what people may think)*, he was not responsible for the tragedy."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It's my belief that she's telling the truth."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He shared his father's belief that people should work hard for their living."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She did it in the belief that it would help her career."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She was strict with her children in the genuine belief that it was the right thing to do."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They were clinging to the belief that Sam would soon be released."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The exam results encouraged the belief that he was a good teacher."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There is a belief among young people that education is a waste of time."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This latest evidence strengthens our belief that the government is doing the right thing."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Opinion and argument"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["absolute", "deep-seated", "deeply held"],
                "… of beliefs": ["set", "system"],
                "verb + belief": ["espouse", "have", "hold"],
                "belief + verb": ["persist"],
                "belief + noun": ["system"],
                "preposition": ["beyond belief", "in the belief that", "belief about"],
                "phrases": ["contrary to popular belief"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "something that you believe, especially as part of your religion",
            "sensetop": "belief about something",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "**religious/political beliefs**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "A society should be judged on its beliefs and values."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Some people **hold beliefs** about the world that are not supported by science.",
                    "contextForm": "belief about something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Each religion has its set of beliefs."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He tried to impose his beliefs on other people."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I have very firm beliefs about moral issues."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The Labour Party must stick to its beliefs."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We still follow our traditional beliefs."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They were persecuted for their religious beliefs."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You must respect other people's beliefs."
                },
                {
                    "text": "an attempt to reconcile apparently opposite beliefs"
                },
                {
                    "text": "beliefs about the origin of the universe"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the basic beliefs of Christianity"
                },
                {
                    "text": "People who did not subscribe to the dominant beliefs of society were widely persecuted."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The beliefs of a minority have come to dominate the political agenda."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Those holding Socialist beliefs were expelled from the organization."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You need to examine your own attitudes and beliefs."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["absolute", "deep-seated", "deeply held"],
                "… of beliefs": ["set", "system"],
                "verb + belief": ["espouse", "have", "hold"],
                "belief + verb": ["persist"],
                "belief + noun": ["system"],
                "preposition": ["beyond belief", "in the belief that", "belief about"],
                "phrases": ["contrary to popular belief"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be too extreme, horrible, etc. to believe/describe",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It beggars belief how things could have got this bad."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "(in a way that is) too great, difficult, etc. to be believed",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Dissatisfaction with the government has grown beyond belief."
                },
                {
                    "text": "icy air that was cold beyond belief"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It is beyond belief that anyone could commit such a crime."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "as far as you know",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He never made a will, to the best of my knowledge."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈliːf/",
                "audio": "be/belief/belief__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈliːf/",
                "audio": "be/belief/belief__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: alteration of Old English gelēafa; compare with believe."
}