What is the difference between trust and believe , and when should we use them . For example "I don't believe him " is correct or "I don't trust him " .
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This question would be a better fit for English Language Learners. When asking questions, you should also indicate how you have tried to solve the question yourself—have you looked these two words up in dictionaries? Doing so should answer the question for you.– Janus Bahs JacquetCommented Oct 7, 2013 at 9:20
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Trust vs believe– Matt E. ЭлленCommented Oct 7, 2013 at 9:24
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It's nice to be able to applaud a good answer (Friendly Greasemonkey's, here) as well as indicate a question off-topic for the site.– Edwin AshworthCommented Oct 7, 2013 at 9:41
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2 Answers
Trust (verb) is defined as: believe in the reliability, truth, or ability of: I should never have trusted her. When you fully believe in a person's words or actions, you generally place your faith in them.
Believe (verb) is defined as: accept that (something) is true, especially without proof: the superintendent believed Lancaster's story.
It is possible to believe someone but not trust them until they earn your trust fully, therefore trust is more of an act of reliance based on accepting something to be true.
Believe is used to show one's acceptance of another's words. Trust is used to demonstrate the reliance on the other's overall character.
Both of the statements, I don't believe him and I don't trust him are correct, depending on the degree of faith you are giving to him.
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Thanks, but which one? Oxford English Dictionary (OED), Oxford Dictionaries Online (ODO), ... A search for "Oxford dictionary" reveals several more. If it's an online dictionary, the convention here is to provide a link to the relevant source. Also, in this case, may I suggest amending your answer to include the additional info, rather than only putting it in a comment.– TrevorDCommented Oct 7, 2013 at 13:36
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@TrevorD I recognise your good intentions but perhaps your time would be better spent providing answers to questions than nitpicking which Oxford dictionary I used. If you have found my definitions inaccurate, I would understand them being questioned, but I seriously doubt that is the case. Commented Oct 7, 2013 at 13:48
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I have actually just answered this question agreeing with & supplementing your answer. I apologise if I seem to be 'nitpicking', but, as you appear to be a new - and useful - contributor here, I was simply drawing your attention to one of the conventional practices on this site, just as certain things were drawn to my attention when I was a new user. cont'd ...– TrevorDCommented Oct 7, 2013 at 14:01
In simple terms, you trust someone meaning that you rely on them and want to believe in their abilities, attitude, etc. While, you believe someone/something meaning whether that particular thing is true.
