\Dis*be*lief"\, n.
The act of disbelieving;; a state of the mind in which one is
fully persuaded that an opinion, assertion, or doctrine is
not true; refusal of assent, credit, or credence; denial of
belief.
      Our belief or disbelief of a thing does not alter the
      nature of the thing.                     --Tillotson.
      No sadder proof can be given by a man of his own
      littleness that disbelief in great men.  --Carlyle.
Syn: Distrust; unbelief; incredulity; doubt; skepticism. --
     {Disbelief}, {Unbelief}. Unbelief is a mere failure to
     admit; disbelief is a positive rejection. One may be an
     unbeliever in Christianity from ignorance or want of
     inquiry; a unbeliever has the proofs before him, and
     incurs the guilt of setting them aside. Unbelief is
     usually open to conviction; disbelief is already
     convinced as to the falsity of that which it rejects.
     Men often tell a story in such a manner that we regard
     everything they say with unbelief. Familiarity with the
     worst parts of human nature often leads us into a
     disbelief in many good qualities which really exist
     among men.