Belief vs That emotion is at the foundation

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Belief

Top 1,000 (very common)B1noun

That emotion is at the foundation

Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most common: Belief
 BeliefThat emotion is at the foundation
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/bɪˈliːf/"]/🇺🇸 /["/bɪˈliːf/"]/🇬🇧 //ðæt ɪˈməʊʃən ɪz æt ðə faʊnˈdeɪʃən//🇺🇸 //ðæt ɪˈmoʊʃən ɪz æt ðə faʊnˈdeɪʃən//
MeaningSomething you think is true.That feeling is the base.
ExampleHer belief in the power of education changed her life.That emotion is at the foundation of her decision to leave.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 1,000 (very common)Top 5,000 (fairly common)
CEFR levelB1-
Part of speechnoun
Collocationsabsolute, deep-seated, deeply held, set, system, espouse, have, hold, persist, system, beyond belief, in the belief that, belief about, contrary to popular belief, absolute, deep-seated, deeply held, set, system, espouse, have, hold, persist, system, beyond belief, in the belief that, belief about, contrary to popular belief, absolute, deep-seated, deeply held, set, system, espouse, have, hold, persist, system, beyond belief, in the belief that, belief about, contrary to popular beliefemotion is at the foundation, strong emotion at the foundation, emotion serves as the foundation
Antonymsdisbelief, skepticism-
Common mistakesConfusing 'belief' with 'believe' (the verb form)., Using 'beliefs' inappropriately when referring to a single idea., Misplacing the preposition (should be 'belief in' or 'belief on').Confused about using 'emotion' instead of 'feeling'., Using 'foundation' too literally instead of metaphorically., Incorrectly placing 'that' far from 'emotion' in the sentence.
Usage notesUse 'belief' in discussions about opinions, faith, and confidence. It's appropriate in academic, personal, and religious contexts but may be too strong for casual discussions.Use in discussions about feelings or reasons behind actions. Appropriate in both casual and formal contexts.

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Belief
That emotion is at the foundation

Frequently asked questions: Belief vs That emotion is at the foundation

What's the difference between Belief and That emotion is at the foundation?

Belief: Something you think is true. That emotion is at the foundation: That feeling is the base.

Which is more common: Belief and That emotion is at the foundation?

Belief is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Belief: Her belief in the power of education changed her life. That emotion is at the foundation: That emotion is at the foundation of her decision to leave.

Can I use Belief and That emotion is at the foundation interchangeably?

Not always. Belief and That emotion is at the foundation are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.

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