doubtless

[ dout-lis ]
See synonyms for: doubtlessdoubtlessness on Thesaurus.com

adverbAlso doubt·less·ly.
  1. without doubt; certainly; surely; unquestionably.

  2. probably or presumably.

adjective
  1. free from doubt or uncertainty; certain, sure.

Origin of doubtless

1
First recorded in 1300–50, doubtless is from the Middle English word douteles.See doubt, -less

synonym study For doubtless

1, 2. Doubtless, undoubtedly, indubitably, unquestionably are adverbs that express certainty. Doubtless, although it sometimes denotes an absolute degree of certainty, more often means “probably,” “presumably,” or “no doubt”: She will doubtless accept the offer. Undoubtedly means “beyond doubt”: undoubtedly the most prolific and popular composer of his time. Indubitably and unquestionably both affirm an unassailable conviction; they differ only in tone, indubitably being appropriate to more formal or learned discourse and unquestionably appropriate in a wider range of contexts and styles: an indubitably (or unquestionably) accurate transliteration of the hieroglyphic text; unquestionably the hottest running back in the league.

Other words from doubtless

  • doubt·less·ness, noun

Words Nearby doubtless

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use doubtless in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for doubtless

doubtless

/ (ˈdaʊtlɪs) /


adverbAlso: doubtlessly (sentence substitute or sentence modifier)
  1. certainly

  2. probably

adjective
  1. certain; assured

Derived forms of doubtless

  • doubtlessness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012