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Believe vs Thank - What's the difference?

believe | thank |

As verbs the difference between believe and thank

is that believe is (label) to accept as true, particularly without absolute certainty (ie, as opposed to knowing) while thank is to express gratitude or appreciation to someone.

As a noun thank is

(obsolete) an expression of appreciation; a thought.

believe

English

Alternative forms

* beleeve (obsolete)

Verb

(believ)
  • (label) To accept as true, particularly without absolute certainty (i.e., as opposed to knowing)
  • (Here, the speaker merely accepts the accuracy of the conditional.)
  • * 1611 , (King James Version of the Bible), 1:1 :
  • Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2014-06-21, volume=411, issue=8892, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Magician’s brain , passage=[Isaac Newton] was obsessed with alchemy. He spent hours copying alchemical recipes and trying to replicate them in his laboratory. He believed that the Bible contained numerological codes.}}
  • (label) To accept that someone is telling the truth.
  • (label) To have religious faith; to believe in a greater truth.
  • Usage notes

    * The transitive verb believe and the phrasal verb (m) are similar but can have very different implications. ** To “believe” someone or something means to accept specific pieces of information as truth: believe the news'', ''believe the lead witness . To “believe a complete stranger” means to accept a stranger's story with little evidence. ** To “believe in” someone or something means to hold confidence and trust in that person or concept: believe in liberty'', ''believe in God . To “believe in one's fellow man” means to place trust and confidence in mankind. * Meanings sometimes overlap. To believe in'' a religious text would also require affirming the truth of at least the major tenets. To ''believe a religious text might likewise imply placing one's confidence and trust in it, in addition to accepting its statements as facts.

    Derived terms

    * believable * believability * believer * believe in * believe it or not * believe one's eyes * believe you me * disbelieve * unbelievable * unbeliever

    Statistics

    * ----

    thank

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) . Compare Dutch dank, German Dank.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) An expression of appreciation; a thought.
  • * Bible, Luke vi. 33
  • If ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
  • * Milton
  • What great thank , then, if any man, reputed wise and constant, will neither do, nor permit others under his charge to do, that which he approves not, especially in matter of sin?

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) . Compare Dutch and German danken.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To express gratitude or appreciation to someone.
  • * 1900 , , (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) Chapter 23
  • The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and the Lion now thanked the Good Witch earnestly for her kindness; and Dorothy exclaimed:
  • * , chapter=4
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions during my yarn, but every question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a thanker he was main-truck high; I never see anybody so polite.}}
  • Credit or hold something responsible.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=But Miss Thorn relieved the situation by laughing aloud,