Skip to main content
belief system

belief system

46 3.8
A set of ideas and values that shape how people think and act
  • noun
  • /bɪˈlif ˈsɪstəm/
translation icon : sistema de creencias
  • You have to hang onto a belief system.
  • values and belief systems
  • religious belief systems
  • faith-based belief systems

It's part of their belief system that they should do it.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • So my entire belief system was very tenuous.

  • It's part of their belief system that they should do it.

  • You have to give them something to challenge their belief system about what it is you offer.

  • You know, we're going to have these belief systems where we both believe we are right.

  • I have that same belief system with everything.

  • I decided a long time ago that I was gonna be open to everything... ... but not buy into any one and only belief system.

  • I think the top one in my mind is a belief system that stress is good for you, OK?

  • Well, what do we mean in saying that one belief system is compatible with the other?

  • We're talking about shared life mindset assets, shared belief systems, shared values.

  • As the head of a congregation, the cleric represents the belief system of a group of people.

Synonyms

religion
vsbelief system
2.0

A set of beliefs and practices about a god or gods, often with worship and rules

is a broader term for any organized set of guiding principles
faith
vsbelief system
729 2.3

A religion or religious group someone belongs to, for example Christianity

is a neutral label for organized principles without emotional emphasis
philosophy
vsbelief system
514 4.4

A set of ideas that guide how a person or group acts

is broader and names any foundational principles beyond life guidance
ideology
vsbelief system
277 6.3

Ideas and beliefs that guide a group's political and social actions

is broader and applies to belief sets beyond political or social aims
doctrine
vsbelief system
199 6.0

A set of beliefs taught and held by a group, for example a religion or political party

is a wider term for any organized set of principles
dogma
vsbelief system
48 7.7

A belief or idea leaders expect everyone to accept without question

is a neutral descriptor without implying enforced certainty
theology
vsbelief system
  • Specialized
37 7.7

Religious ideas and teachings held by one group

is broader and covers belief frameworks beyond religious teaching
school of thought
vsbelief system
  • Formal
24 3.9

A shared set of ideas about a subject held by a group

is more general and can describe nonacademic or private viewpoints
metaphysic
vsbelief system
  • Formal
5 9.9

A set of ideas about what reality is and why it exists

is broader and is not limited to beliefs about ultimate reality
philosophical system
vsbelief system
1 7.7

A set of ideas and beliefs that a group of thinkers accept

is a broader label for any set of guiding principles
theological system
vsbelief system
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A group's organized beliefs and teachings about God and religion

is a general label for any foundational set of principles
philosophical theory
vsbelief system
7.8

A set of ideas about life, knowledge, or right and wrong that people accept and follow

is more general and not limited to single accepted doctrines

How Organized

ideology
277 6.3
belief system
46 3.8
doctrine
199 6.0
belief
1.1
idea
1.0

Surface Forms

belief system singular

Morphology

belief + system

The phrase denotes a 'system' made up of 'beliefs' and its meaning — a set or organized framework of beliefs or tenets — is directly and compositionally derivable from the constituents. This noun–noun composition is cross-linguistically common and follows ordinary English compounding patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Belief system creates a simple image: many beliefs working together like parts of a small machine or a map that guides you. The word belief is what someone thinks and system is a group that fits together, so the phrase means 'a set of ideas or rules that guide how a person thinks'.