doubtless
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English
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]- doubtlesse, doutless (obsolete)
Etymology
[edit]From Middle English douteles, dowteles, equivalent to doubt -less.
Pronunciation
[edit]Adjective
[edit]doubtless (not comparable)
- Characterized by or experiencing no doubt at all, certain; undoubted; undoubting.
- 1880, B. Stewart, P. G. Tait, The Unseen Universe, London: Macmillan, page xiii:
- There are those who have doubtless faith in revelation.
- 1927, Edgar Rice Burroughs, chapter 7, in The Outlaw of Torn:
- It is doubtless that the old reprobate who sued for his daughter's hand heard some unsavory truths from the man.
- (obsolete) Free from fear or suspicion.
- c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
- Pretty child, sleep doubtless and secure.
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]characterized by no doubt
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Adverb
[edit]doubtless (not comparable)
- Without doubt; certainly; definitely; very probably, in all likelihood; doubtlessly.
- Synonyms: indubitably, undoubtably, undoubtedly, unquestionably, without a doubt, without doubt, indisputably, see also probably § Synonyms
- 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XXXIX, page 61:
- […] And, doubtless, unto thee is given
A life that bears immortal fruit
In such great offices as suit
The full-grown energies of heaven.
- 1893, Ambrose Bierce, The Realm Of The Unreal:
- I cannot remember that I spoke a word, though doubtless I did.
- 1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, “The Council with The Munchkins”, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M[elvin] Hill Co., →OCLC, page 21:
- The men, Dorothy thought, were about as old as Uncle Henry, for two of them had beards. But the little woman was doubtless much older: her face was covered with wrinkles, her hair was nearly white, and she walked rather stiffly.
- 1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., published 1921, page 9:
- There is also in these matters of Science (though many scientific men would doubtless deny this) a great deal of "Fashion".
- 2017 June 26, Alexis Petridis, “Glastonbury 2017 verdict: Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Lorde, Stormzy and more”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian[1], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2017-06-26:
- Thom Yorke’s onstage pronouncements became less abstract and more effusive, they played the songs the less committed audience members doubtless wanted to hear in the first place: Paranoid Android, Creep, Fake Plastic Trees and Karma Police. At the end of the latter, Yorke happily led an audience singalong.
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]without question
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References
[edit]- “doubtless”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms suffixed with -less
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
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- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English uncomparable adjectives
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English adverbs
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