doubtless

English

Alternative forms

• doubtlesse, doutless (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English douteles, dowteles, equivalent to doubt +‎ -less.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdaʊ̯tləs/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈdʌʊ̯tləs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

doubtless (not comparable)

1. 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.

2. (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

• doubtlessness

Translations

characterized by no doubt

• Bulgarian: несъмнено (bg) (nesǎmneno), безспорно (bg) (bezsporno), сигурно (bg) (sigurno)
• Czech: nepochybný (cs)
• Esperanto: senduba
• German: zweifelsfrei (de), zweifellos (de)
• Old Norse: iflauss
• Polish: bez wątpliwości
• Russian: несомне́нный (ru) (nesomnénnyj)
• Spanish: indudable (es), sin duda (es)
• Swedish: tveklös (sv)

Adverb

doubtless (not comparable)

1. 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. 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

• doubtlessly

Translations

without question

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: ^{(please verify)} 毫無疑問／毫无疑问 (zh) (háowúyíwèn)

• Danish: utvivlsomt
• Dutch: zonder twijfel, ongetwijfeld (nl)
• Esperanto: sendube (eo)
• Finnish: epäilemättä (fi)
• French: sans aucun doute (fr), sans nul doute (fr), indubitablement (fr)
• German: zweifellos (de)
• Old Norse: iflaust
• Spanish: indudablemente (es)
• Swedish: utan tvivel, tveklöst (sv), utan tvivel

References

• “doubtless”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.