believer

Believer is a noun referring to a person who holds a belief or asserts a proposition as true. The term is used across religious, philosophical, and secular contexts to describe someone who accepts certain ideas or claims as real or valid.

In religious contexts, a believer is typically someone who adheres to the teachings of a faith, affirms its doctrines, and may participate in worship and communal practices. The profile of a believer can vary by tradition, ranging from formal members of a congregation to individuals who embrace a spiritual outlook without formal affiliation.

In secular usage, the word can describe supporters of ideas, movements, or institutions, such as believers in science, human rights, or democracy. The emphasis is on conviction in the proposition rather than on ritual commitment.

Belief refers to the mental acceptance of a proposition, while faith is often used to express trust or commitment that goes beyond evidence. The two terms are related and sometimes used interchangeably in everyday language, but scholars distinguish them in philosophy and theology.

Etymology: believer derives from belief, with the agentive suffix -er; in English it has been used since the Middle Ages to denote one who holds a belief, originally often in religious contexts.

See also belief, faith, creed.