“believe” in Latin

credere (denotes belief as grounded on testimony): putare (to believe, as one who casts up the reasons for and against: often of one who does not see the errors of his calculation = “imagine”): arbitrari (PROP., to pronounce an opinion as an arbiter: often of forming the most probable opinion one can from uncertain data): videri (of what seems to one true at first sight, or as far as one’s means of examining and judging extend: the construction is, mihi videtur aliquis or aliquid, or videor with infinitive: I believe you speak the truth, videris vera loqui: I Believe that I see you, te videre videor): opinari (to be of opinion, to imagine: of conjectural belief founded on what seem probable grounds): animum or in animum inducere (to arrive at the notion; to persuade one’s self: with infinitive, he believes that he may, inducit animum sibi licere, Cic.): reri (to hold anything as one’s private opinion, formed on reasonable grounds, etc.: according to Cic., De Or., 3, 38, 153, a rather poetical word, which, however, may, if used judiciously, give spirit and a somewhat antique coloring to a discourse; hence he uses it himself not uncommonly, especially in his philosophical works. The principal forms that occur are the present and imperfect indicative): existimare: ducere (to estimate; to hold an opinion after passing judgment on the worth of its grounds, etc.: aestimare is not used in this sense): censere (to pronounce judgment with the authority of a censor, or of a senator giving his vote: thence to hold anything to be good and profitable; and also to hold an opinion deliberately): autumare in the sense of “believing,” “holding an opinion,” is not without authority (e.g., Pacuvius, in Non., 237, 2; Hor., Sat., 2, 3, 45, where it = censet), but does not belong to the prose of the Golden Age: to believe easily, facile adduci (not induci) ad credendum; facile ad credendum impelli: to believe anything (habitually and foolishly), alicui rei servire; e.g., to believe uncertain rumors, incertis rumoribus servire (Caes.): I firmly believe, (mihi) persuasum or persuasissimum est: hoc or illud mihi certe persuadeo, or persuasi: persuasum habere (all = I am convinced, with accusative and infinitive: ☞ persuasum habeo is much less common than mihi persuasum est, or mihi persuasi. With mihi persuasi only a pronoun can stand as the objective: hoc mihi persuasi. With persuasum habere the dative of the pronoun is extremely rare, the only passage being sibi persuasum habebant (Caes., B.G., 3, 2, end). Hence avoid mihi persuasum habeo.

To make anybody believe anything, alicui aliquid or de aliqua re probare (Cic.; alicui aliquid credibile facere is New Latin, though credibile aliquid facere is right, Krebs). To make anybody believe that, etc., persuadere alicui or hoc persuadere alicui, with accusative and infinitive. I shall not be made, led, induced, or persuaded to believe this, hoc quidem non adducor, ut credam; non facile adducar (not inducar) ad credendum. I am not persuaded to believe that, etc., non adducor or adducar (with accusative and infinitive, without any verb of believing; e.g., Cic., Div., 1, 18, 35, nec adducar aut in extis totam Etruriam delirare, etc., Orelli; but many manuscripts read adducar ut rear, etc.): to make the people believe, opinionem populo afferre (Cic.). I can hardly be induced to believe, illuc adduci vix possum, ut, etc. They tried to make the people believe that Pompey wished, etc., in eam opinionem rem adducebant, ut Pompeius cupere videretur. I can not but believe that, non possum in animum inducere, quin, etc. (Liv.). I am more inclined to believe, magis ut arbitrer (with accusative and infinitive) inclinat animus (Vid: Liv., 7, 9). Not to believe anybody or anything, alicui, or alicui rei fidem abrogare, or derogare.

To believe in anything, aliquid esse arbitrari or credere (i. e., in its existence: for difference between arbitrari and credere, Vid: above: to believe in a God, or in the existence of a God, Deum esse credere; vim et naturam esse divinam arbitrari: also Deum or Deos credere [Sen., Ep., 95], Deum or Deos putare [Cic., Div., 1, 46, 104]. Hence, “I believe in one God,” not credo in unum Deum, but credo unum Deum): credere de re (e.g., men are but too ready to believe in the existence of hatred, facilius de odio creditor, Tac., Hist., 1, 34): comprobare aliquid (to give one’s assent to an article of belief; e.g., to believe in the influence of the gods, numen deorum comprobare): to believe in ghosts, de umbris (not spectris) credere: homines umbris inquietari credere.

To believe (= put faith in) a thing or person, aliqui rei or alicui credere: alicui or alicui rei fidem habere, tribuere: alicui rei (never alicui) fidem adjungere (not fidem dare or adhibere); e.g., to believe in dreams (i. e., in their coming true), somniis credere or fidem adjungere.

BELIEVE ME (inserted parenthetically), quod mihi credas velim, mihi crede or crede mihi (ἐμοὶ πιθοῦ and πιθοῦ μοι: mihi crede the more common, but crede mihi not uncommon in Cic., when the emphasis is rather on believe than on me).

I believe (inserted parenthetically), credo: opinor (credo, like ὡς ἔοικιν, implies irony, in absurd or self-evident propositions: puto, inserted without a dependent word or clause, is classical, but rare, Krebs).

As I believe, mea quidem opinione: ut ego existimo: ut mihi visus sum: quomodo mihi persuadeo (as I persuade or flatter myself: parenthetically, Cic., Oratio pro Roscio Amerino, 2, 6, end).

I believe it (as form of assent), credo (Ter., And., 5, 4, 43): believe assuredly that, etc., hoc velim tibi penitus persuadeas, or persuadeas hoc tibi vere (with accusative and infinitive).

To be a believer (i. e., in Christ), Christum or veram Christi doctrinam sequi; Christianae legis studiosum esse (Ammianus, 25, 10). More than anyone will believe, supra quam cuipiam credibile est. It is not to be believed, credibile non est, incredibile est, fidem excedit, a fide abhorret. Who can believe it? quis credat? incredibile est.

To make believe, cause the belief, opinionem alicujus rei praebere: assume, put on, simulare, assimulare; that he is learned, simulare se doctum esse, simulare doctrinam: that he is sick, simulare aegrum, assimulare se aegrum. I will make believe that I go out, simulabo, assimulabo, quasi exeam.

To be believed: (a) absolutely, credi (impersonally with dative of person. Any body is believed, alicui creditur): alicui fides habetur (both of persons): aliqua res fidem habet: alicui rei fides habetur, tribuitur, adjungitur. The dreams of madmen must not be believed (true), insanorum visis non est fides habenda (Cic.). Anything is believed by nobody, alicui rei abrogatur fides. To cause anything to be believed, alicui rei fidem facere, afferre, or addere: to prevent anything from being believed, alicui rei fidem abrogare: (b) with following infinitive: credi. I am believed, credor (aliquid fecisse, etc.): also with infinitive omitted; e.g., origo animi coelestis creditor (Quint.). Observe. For “it is believed,” the personal construction should be used, the impersonal being very rare; hence, “it is believed that anybody committed suicide,” not creditur aliquem voluntaria morte interiisse, but creditur aliquis, etc.