as in disbelief
refusal to accept something as true
a natural-born skeptic, she typically greets the latest conspiracy theory with head-shaking unbelief
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Recent Examples of unbelief
But in drawing upon those exact fields of study to reverse the long-term march toward unbelief, the authors appear to have missed the mechanism by which those prior discoveries eroded faith: namely, that people had staked their belief on evidence that was overturned by subsequent data.
—
Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
My own passage into and back out of unbelief—one marked by a close reading of works that earlier illiberal societies had attempted to suppress on religious grounds—has strengthened my liberal commitments.
—Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
But the indirect benefits seem to reflect a posture against green energy, related to unbelief in climate change, and these lead to support for inefficient energy alternatives like nuclear and geothermal and gas-fired turbines.
—Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
The historical abnormality of modern-day unbelief was a theme of Pope Benedict XVI’s in the years before, during, and after his pontificate.
—Katherine Howell, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023
It’s been a bit of unbelief.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2021
This problem of unbelief has plagued reformers for decades.
—Ervand Abrahamian, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2016
Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
My own passage into and back out of unbelief—one marked by a close reading of works that earlier illiberal societies had attempted to suppress on religious grounds—has strengthened my liberal commitments.
—Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
But the indirect benefits seem to reflect a posture against green energy, related to unbelief in climate change, and these lead to support for inefficient energy alternatives like nuclear and geothermal and gas-fired turbines.
—Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
The historical abnormality of modern-day unbelief was a theme of Pope Benedict XVI’s in the years before, during, and after his pontificate.
—Katherine Howell, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023
It’s been a bit of unbelief.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2021
This problem of unbelief has plagued reformers for decades.
—Ervand Abrahamian, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unbelief
Noun
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In postwar France, Senot remembers facing people’s disbelief and indifference to the fate of those who had been deported.—
Sylvie Corbet,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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MacKinnon’s shot also left forward Parker Kelly, who was watching from the bench, in disbelief.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
But midway through their first interview with Djena the agents’ skepticism began to wane.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
The decision to run it back has been met with considerable skepticism — and reasonably so.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
The election drubbing cemented doubts among many Labor lawmakers about Starmer’s judgment, vision and leadership ability — a brutal indictment on a leader who returned the party to power in July 2024 after 14 years in opposition.—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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When in doubt, turn to Dries Van Noten’s polka-dot-print pareo.—
Laura Jackson,
Vogue,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unbelief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unbelief. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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