disbelieves

Disbelieves is the third-person singular present tense of the verb disbelieve. It means to refuse to accept something as true or to reject a claim, proposition, or account as false. It is typically transitive and takes a direct object or a clause, as in "She disbelieves the rumor" or "He disbelieves that the experiment succeeded."

Disbelieve is formed from the prefix dis- meaning not, combined with believe. The verb has roots in Old English and developed through Middle and Early Modern English into its current form. In modern usage, disbelieves appears in narrative and analytical writing when describing a person or institution that rejects a particular assertion.

Usage notes emphasize that disbelieve conveys a conscious judgment of falsehood or unreliability, often stronger than mere doubt. It suggests a deliberate stance rather than uncertainty. Because of its strength, disbelieve is more common in formal or assertive contexts, reporting on contested claims, media coverage, or legal and scholarly discussion. In less emphatic contexts, speakers may choose doubt, question, or skepticism to express reservations about a claim without asserting its falsehood.

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