A widely-held belief refers to a commonly accepted idea or assumption that is widely shared among a group of people.
Related terms
Stereotype: A stereotype is a widely-held belief or oversimplified idea about a group of people based on their characteristics.
Confirmation bias: Confirmation bias refers to the tendency of individuals to seek out information that confirms their preexisting beliefs while ignoring or dismissing contradictory evidence.
Cognitive dissonance: Cognitive dissonance is the uncomfortable feeling experienced when there is a contradiction between an individual's beliefs and their actions or new information they encounter.