# believing

Pronunciation: say "bi-LEEV-ing" US /bɪˈlivɪŋ/, UK /bɪˈliːvɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of believe. — present participle and gerund of believe
   - Simple: The -ing form of believe. Use it to name the state or describe a noun, but rarely after is or are.
   - _Believing the witness, the jury returned a quick verdict._
   - _Believing without proof felt reckless to her cautious mind._

## Noun

2. The state or act of trusting in someone or something, or of placing faith or confidence in them.
   - Simple: The act of having faith or trust in someone or something.
   - _Believing requires a willingness to trust what cannot be proven._
   - _Her quiet believing in his recovery sustained the whole family._
3. Something a person accepts as true, or the state of mind in which it is accepted.
   - Simple: What someone thinks is true, or the state of thinking that it is true.
   - _The essay asks whether every believing rests on some earlier perception._
   - _On this account, our believings form a web, each one propped up by others._

## Origin

**Meaning 1** — From Middle English bilevyng (also belevand, bileveand, belefand), from Old English forms such as ġelīfende and ġelȳfende. It is equivalent to "believe" plus the suffix "-ing".
**Meanings 2–3** — From Middle English bilevinge (also belewynge), equivalent to "believe" plus the suffix "-ing".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/believing (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).