open to believing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "open to believing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when expressing a willingness or readiness to accept or consider a belief or idea. Example: "She is open to believing that there may be life on other planets."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

We should be attentive to our history and context, and be open to believing, disbelieving, agreeing, or disagreeing, in individual instances, based on evidence.

The New Yorker

This time, I wanted to chat to the psychologist about how he thinks he can tell whether someone has been abducted or not and why he's convinced that more medical professionals should be open to believing in the supernatural.

Vice

As Black Lives Matter has educated the American public, "people are more open to believing that the police just lie," said Roger Wareham, a prominent civil rights attorney who regularly presents the United Nations with evidence of human rights violations faced by people of color in the US and who is advising Heyward in this case.

Vice

Researchers say that everyone is born with intuition, but not everyone is open to believing in it or willing to listen to it.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Onassis was clever enough to see the post-war boom in shipping; Mr Wriston was open enough to believe that Onassis should be financed, not on asset value, but on the ability of his assets to generate cash in future.

The Economist

It's not EA, it's not Zynga, it's something that requires more imagination and an open mind to believe in.

TechCrunch

Sufficiently open-minded to believe that near-daily transcendental meditation has changed his life and always ready to listen to alternative opinions, he is also no-nonsense enough not to be taken in by jargon or meaningless soundbites.

The Guardian - Sport

But he said there was also a sweetness in the show that may not be obvious from its cruder songs: "It's about what can happen to a village in the most dire straits imaginable when they open their hearts up to believing in a higher purpose".

The New York Times

Moore stated that many of the crew and voice cast are open to the sequel, believing that they have "barely scratched the surface" of the video game world they envisioned.

Wikipedia

One could argue that these results are not particularly surprising, as the tests in this introductory course consisted of fact-based multiple-choice questions, and higher exam performance could have led open-note students to believe less effort was necessary to succeed in the class.

CBE Life Sciences Education

He said he was open to negotiation but believed that the city simply wanted to get rid of the contract.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "open to believing" when you want to express a willingness to consider new ideas or perspectives, even if they challenge your existing beliefs.

Common error

Avoid using "open to believing" too frequently in your writing, as it can sound repetitive. Vary your language by using synonyms like "receptive", "willing", or "amenable".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "open to believing" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun or pronoun by describing a state of mind characterized by receptiveness and willingness to accept something as true. Ludwig indicates that the phrase is grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "open to believing" is a grammatically correct phrase used to describe a state of receptiveness or willingness to accept a particular idea or concept. Ludwig AI validates this and shows how it's used across contexts like News & Media, Wiki and Science. While the phrase is relatively uncommon, it provides a specific nuance of receptiveness that alternatives like "willing to believe" or "receptive to believing" may not fully capture. When writing, be mindful of overuse and ensure that the context aligns with the meaning of genuine open-mindedness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

receptive to believing

Replaces "open" with "receptive", emphasizing willingness to accept something.

willing to believe

Uses "willing" instead of "open", highlighting a positive inclination towards belief.

ready to believe

Focuses on the readiness to accept something as true.

amenable to believing

Substitutes "open" with "amenable", suggesting an agreeable attitude towards belief.

prepared to believe

Suggests a state of being ready and willing to believe.

disposed to believe

Employs "disposed", indicating a natural tendency to believe.

inclined to believe

Similar to "disposed", but suggests a leaning towards belief.

accepting of believing

Highlights the act of accepting a belief or idea.

susceptible to believing

Implies vulnerability or ease in being convinced.

trusting enough to believe

Adds an element of trust as a prerequisite for believing.

FAQs

What does it mean to be "open to believing" something?

Being "open to believing" implies a willingness to consider a particular idea or concept as potentially true, even if you are not entirely convinced or certain about it.

When is it appropriate to say someone is "open to believing"?

It's appropriate to describe someone as "open to believing" when they demonstrate a receptive attitude and a lack of fixed opinions, making them willing to explore new perspectives and possibilities.

Are there situations where it's not advisable to be "open to believing"?

While being "open to believing" is generally positive, it's important to maintain critical thinking skills and evaluate evidence before accepting claims, especially in situations involving misinformation or potential harm.

What are some alternatives to saying "open to believing"?

You can use alternatives like "willing to believe", "receptive to believing", or "amenable to believing" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.