English for Students

English : Believe & Believe In

What is the difference between Believe and Believe In?

When you believe in something, you take it for granted that it really exists. There are no two questions about it.

For example:

• Many people believe in ghosts.

• I don't believe in angels.

• Many children believe in Santa Claus.

• I believe in God.

In all the examples that we have talked about so far, one is quite sure that the thing being discussed exists.

You are confident that God and ghosts exist.

That's right. But that is not the only meaning of believe in. Take for example a sentence like, I believe in democracy. In this sentence, what you mean to say is that, in your opinion democracy is good. You are in favor of it because you think it's good or right.

I see. I don't believe in staying up late the night before an exam.

Good for you. There are many people in this world who believe in capital punishment.

Now tell me, what does believe mean?

When you believe something, you accept everything that someone says as being true or real. That is one of the meanings.

For example, like an idiot I believed everything he said.

• We believed everything the doctor told us.

• Never believe anything that Venkat tells you.

• I never believe anything that anybody tells me.