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Sometimes when it comes to words and their meaning, I go back to the source, which in my case is the dictionary.
The verb to believe can either be taken in its transitive form or intransitive form. For example: He believes in ghosts. (intransitive verb) Many people seem to believe that theory, but he finds it hard/difficult to believe. (transitive verb) They have very different meanings according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. I quote: "intransitive verb 1 a: to have a firm religious faith b: to accept as true, genuine, or real <ideals we ∼ in> <∼s in ghosts> 2: to have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something <∼ in exercise> 3: to hold an opinion : think <I ∼ so> transitive verb 1 a: to consider to be true or honest <∼ the reports> <you wouldn't ∼ how long it took> b: to accept the word or evidence of <I ∼ you> <couldn't ∼ my ears> 2: to hold as an opinion : suppose <I ∼ it will rain soon> — be·liev·er noun — not believe to be astounded at <I couldn't believe my luck>" http://www.britannica.com/bps/dictionary?query=believe "True1 a: steadfast, loyal b: honest, just c: archaic: truthful 2 a (1): being in accordance with the actual state of affairs <∼ description> (2): conformable to an essential reality (3): fully realized or fulfilled <dreams come ∼> b: ideal, essential c: being that which is the case rather than what is manifest or assumed <the ∼ dimension of the problem> d: consistent <∼ to character> 3 a: properly so called <∼ love> <the ∼ faith> <the ∼ stomach of ruminant mammals> b (1): possessing the basic characters of and belonging to the same natural group as <a whale is a ∼ but not a typical mammal> (2): typical <the ∼ cats> 4: legitimate, rightful <our ∼ and lawful king> 5 a: that is fitted or formed or that functions accurately b: conformable to a standard or pattern : accurate 6: determined with reference to the earth's axis rather than the magnetic poles <∼ north> 7: logically necessary 8: narrow, strict <in the truest sense> 9: corrected for error — true·ness noun" http://www.britannica.com/bps/dictionary?query=true Just my .02 cents... |
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