ability to believe

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "ability to believe" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing someone's capacity or capability to have faith or trust in something, whether it's a concept, idea, or person. Example: "Her ability to believe in the impossible inspired everyone around her."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

52 human-written examples

Among the things it overbears is our ability to believe in its reality.

The New York Times - Arts

The ability to believe in an internal, invisible God vastly improves people's capacity for abstraction.

The New York Times - Magazine

But his greatest attribute is his ability to believe he's a winner".

The Guardian - Film

In "1984" he coined the term "doublethink", or the ability to believe contradictory things.

The Economist

They are losing the ability to believe in anything, even in their own courage.

The Washington Post

The Panaceans combine an ability to believe six impossible things before breakfast with modest simplicity.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

8 human-written examples

Kristine had always dreamed of becoming an artist, but never had enough confidence in her abilities to believe she could make a living at it.

Huffington Post

Plenty of intelligent, educated people, with great ability to think critically believe in it.

BBC

They are full of fear, lack the ability to trust and often believe they have no worth.

Huffington Post

The survey also found that 84percentt of the business leaders believe the ability to think creatively is just as important as the ability to think critically.

Huffington Post

The only thing standing in their way is social media/internet prattle that boggles down their ability to truly believe in themselves.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "ability to believe" when you want to emphasize a person's capacity or power to hold faith, especially when discussing resilience, optimism, or overcoming adversity. For example, "Her ability to believe in herself was crucial for her success".

Common error

Avoid using "ability to believe" to suggest a naive or uncritical acceptance of ideas. Ensure the context clarifies whether the belief is grounded in reason or evidence, or whether it is a necessary coping mechanism in difficult circumstances.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "ability to believe" functions as a noun phrase, acting as the subject or object of a sentence. It denotes the capacity or power someone possesses to hold a particular belief or faith. As Ludwig AI suggests, it references a human's possibility of having trust or faith in something.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

52%

Science

24%

Formal & Business

12%

Less common in

Wiki

6%

Encyclopedias

3%

Social Media

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "ability to believe" is grammatically correct and widely used, denoting someone's capacity for faith or conviction. According to Ludwig AI, it’s used to discuss the capability to trust or have faith. Its usage spans across diverse contexts, including news, science, and business, reflecting its versatility. While "ability to believe" is a common phrase, it's essential to ensure that it doesn't imply blind faith without reason. Alternatives like ""capacity for belief"" or "power of belief" may be more appropriate depending on the specific nuance you want to convey. The examples provided by Ludwig illustrate the phrase's use in discussing resilience, hope, and the strength of conviction in various situations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

capacity for belief

Replaces "ability" with "capacity", emphasizing the potential or inherent capability to believe.

power of belief

Substitutes "ability" with "power", highlighting the strength and influence that belief can have.

aptitude for faith

Uses "aptitude" instead of "ability", suggesting a natural inclination or talent for believing.

inclination to believe

Replaces "ability" with "inclination", indicating a predisposition or tendency to believe.

predisposition to believe

Similar to "inclination", but suggests a more inherent or ingrained tendency.

faculty of belief

Uses "faculty" to denote a specific mental or cognitive ability related to belief.

strength of conviction

Focuses on the intensity and firmness of belief, rather than the ability to believe itself.

credulity

Implies a willingness to believe things easily, sometimes without sufficient evidence.

believability

Shifts the focus to the quality of being believable, rather than the ability of someone to believe.

acceptance of faith

Focuses on the action of accepting belief, as opposed to the ability to hold it.

FAQs

How can I effectively use "ability to believe" in a sentence?

Use "ability to believe" to highlight someone's capacity to maintain faith or trust, particularly in challenging times. For instance, "The survivors demonstrated an extraordinary "capacity for belief" in the face of adversity".

What are some alternatives to "ability to believe"?

You can use alternatives like ""capacity for belief"", "power of belief", or "aptitude for faith" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it more accurate to say "ability to believe in" or "ability to believe that"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct, but "ability to believe in" typically refers to faith or trust in a person or concept, while "ability to believe that" introduces a specific proposition or statement. For example, "ability to believe in God" versus "ability to believe that everything will be alright".

What distinguishes "ability to believe" from simple "belief"?

"Ability to believe" emphasizes the capacity or potential to hold a belief, while "belief" refers to the state of mind where something is accepted as true. One can have the "capacity for belief" without necessarily holding a specific belief at a given moment.