Unbelief Meaning
/ʌnbɪˈliːf/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAn absence (or rejection) of belief, especially religious belief.
Sentence Examples
He stared at the winning numbers in a state of complete unbelief.
Unbelief can sometimes stem from a lack of reliable evidence.
Her expression was one of complete unbelief at the news.
CEFR Practice Quiz
His ____ in the government's promises grew stronger after each broken pledge.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He stared at the winning numbers in ____, as he could not believe that he had actually won the grand prize today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English unbilefe, unbileve, equivalent to un- + belief.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"And he coulde there ſhewe no myracles butt leyd his hondꝭ apon a feawe ſicke foolke ãd healed thẽ. And he merveyled at their vnbelefe."
— 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Mark vj:[5–6], folio lj, recto:
"On hands and knees he looked at the empty siding and up at the sunfilled sky with unbelief and despair."
— 1931, William Faulkner, Sanctuary, Vintage, published 1993, page 35:
"Soon Spinoza was regarded as the standard-bearer for unbelief, even though pervading his carefully-worded writings there is a clear notion of a divine spirit inhabiting the world, and a profound sense of wonder and reverence for mystery."
— 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 781:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
His ____ in the government's promises grew stronger after each broken pledge.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He stared at the winning numbers in ____, as he could not believe that he had actually won the grand prize today.