creencia
nounCEFR B2
What does “creencia” mean in English?
belief, conviction — a deeply held view or principle accepted as true; deeper than opinion
belief, conviction — a deeply held view or principle accepted as true; deeper than opinion (un sistema de creencias, las creencias más arraigadas)
Example sentences
Las creencias más difíciles de cuestionar son precisamente aquellas que se presentan como sentido común y no como ideología.
The hardest beliefs to question are precisely those that present themselves as common sense rather than ideology.
El sistema de creencias de una cultura moldea la percepción de lo que es natural, justo o deseable.
A culture's belief system shapes perceptions of what is natural, fair, or desirable.
How to use it
La creencia means 'belief' — a proposition held to be true, whether or not it can be proved. At B2 it is used across philosophical, religious, social, and political contexts: las creencias religiosas, las creencias culturales, las creencias arraigadas, el sistema de creencias. Unlike opinión (a view formed on an issue, more open to revision), creencia implies a deeper commitment — something one holds as true without necessarily requiring evidence. The verb pair is creer en (to believe in — faith/conviction) vs creer que (to believe that — propositional claim). Las creencias is very commonly plural in sociological discourse.
Common mistake
Creencia (deep-held belief, more stable conviction) vs opinión (view, more revisable) vs convicción (strong personal conviction — closer to creencia but more individual and passionate). 'Religious beliefs' = 'creencias religiosas' (not *opiniones religiosas). 'I believe in justice' = 'Creo en la justicia' (creer en, not *creer la justicia).