overriding beliefs

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "overriding beliefs" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
Here is an example: "Despite her upbringing in a conservative household, her overriding beliefs about equality and justice led her to become a vocal advocate for minority rights."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

One of Donilon's overriding beliefs, which Obama adopted as his own, was that America needed to rebuild its reputation, extricate itself from the Middle East and Afghanistan, and turn its attention toward Asia and China's unchecked influence in the region.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Overriding feeling?

The Guardian

This outlook was contrasted with the views of "an establishment Republican," who has an "overriding belief in the glory of the free market, [who] might be moved to tear down a cathedral and replace it with a strip mall if it made economic sense".

The New Yorker

However, there are greater forces influencing this process, according to the theory that humans have an inbuilt need to support the status quo, and therefore have an innate difficulty in overriding preexisting beliefs (Jost and Hunyady, 2003).

DMM Disease Models and Mechanisms

And for some of the devout living here, the American conception has overridden the beliefs with which they were raised.

The New York Times

Her nuclear industry would not have survived the subversive 70s without the prevailing belief, overriding all political divisions, that France should, at all costs, preserve her political and ideological independence.

The Guardian - Opinion

However, government-as-usual does not justify overriding deeply-held religious beliefs.

HuffPost

Kumārila would allow, in this regard, that a subsequent cognition concerning pragmatic efficacy could count as a potential source of falsification; the impossibility of carrying water with what had seemed to be a jar would indeed count as overriding the previously justified belief that one saw a jar.

SEP

We need to create and foster new experiences that can override our biased beliefs in order to build an unconscious that functions from and seeks to reinforce mores of equality and fairness.

University of California, Berkeley

Most likely, those folks are falling into confirmation bias, a typical thinking error that our minds tend to make when we let our strong personal beliefs override the evidence available.

Huffington Post

In other words, this provision could let an individual's religious beliefs override important nondiscrimination protections, possibly giving rise to claims of a right to proselytize other service members as well as civilians in occupied areas and claims affecting health care services or anti-harassment training.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "overriding beliefs" to emphasize the primary or most influential convictions that shape someone's decisions or worldview.

Common error

Avoid using "overriding beliefs" when simpler terms like "beliefs" or "principles" suffice. The phrase is most effective when highlighting the dominance of certain beliefs over others.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "overriding beliefs" functions as a noun phrase, where "overriding" modifies "beliefs", indicating that these beliefs are the most important or dominant ones. This aligns with Ludwig's assessment that the phrase is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "overriding beliefs" is a grammatically correct and meaningful phrase used to emphasize the most influential convictions shaping decisions and perspectives. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase finds appropriate usage across news, science, and academic contexts. While it's most effective in highlighting the dominance of certain beliefs over others, it should be used judiciously to avoid overcomplicating simpler ideas. Related phrases such as "core convictions" and "fundamental beliefs" offer alternative ways to express similar concepts, each with slightly different nuances.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fundamental beliefs

Focuses on the basic and essential aspects of the beliefs.

primary beliefs

Highlights the main or most important beliefs.

core convictions

Highlights the deeply held and central nature of the beliefs.

strong beliefs

Indicates the intensity or strength with which the beliefs are held.

dominant convictions

Emphasizes the power and influence of the beliefs.

deep-seated beliefs

Emphasizes the deeply ingrained nature of the beliefs.

prevailing principles

Focuses on beliefs that are widely accepted or most common.

guiding principles

Focuses on beliefs that guide actions and decisions.

paramount values

Highlights the importance and priority of the beliefs as values.

chief tenets

Emphasizes the fundamental or core nature of the beliefs.

FAQs

How can I use "overriding beliefs" in a sentence?

You can use "overriding beliefs" to describe the most important beliefs that influence someone's decisions or behavior. For example, "Her "overriding beliefs" in fairness guided her actions."

What phrases are similar to "overriding beliefs"?

Similar phrases include "core convictions", "fundamental beliefs", or "dominant convictions", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it appropriate to use "overriding beliefs" in formal writing?

Yes, "overriding beliefs" is suitable for formal writing when you need to emphasize that certain beliefs take precedence over others in a person's or group's decision-making process.

What is the difference between "beliefs" and "overriding beliefs"?

"Beliefs" are general convictions, while ""overriding beliefs"" are the most influential or dominant beliefs that have the power to supersede other considerations or beliefs.