dubiety

noun

du·​bi·​ety du̇-ˈbī-ət-ē How to pronounce dubiety (audio)
 also  dyü-
plural dubieties
1
: a usually hesitant uncertainty or doubt that tends to cause vacillation
2
: a matter of doubt
Choose the Right Synonym for dubiety

uncertainty, doubt, dubiety, skepticism, suspicion, mistrust mean lack of sureness about someone or something.

uncertainty may range from a falling short of certainty to an almost complete lack of conviction or knowledge especially about an outcome or result.

assumed the role of manager without hesitation or uncertainty

doubt suggests both uncertainty and inability to make a decision.

plagued by doubts as to what to do

dubiety stresses a wavering between conclusions.

felt some dubiety about its practicality

skepticism implies unwillingness to believe without conclusive evidence.

an economic forecast greeted with skepticism

suspicion stresses lack of faith in the truth, reality, fairness, or reliability of something or someone.

regarded the stranger with suspicion

mistrust implies a genuine doubt based upon suspicion.

had a great mistrust of doctors

Examples of dubiety in a Sentence

the comfort of having a faith free from all dubiety is what attracts people to the religious sect
Recent Examples on the Web The early snark and savvy dubiety look silly with a couple of decades’ hindsight. Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2021 Given that dubiety about the 2021 season — even the size of next year’s rosters remains unclear — predicting how the Twins might change over the winter is problematic. Phil Miller, Star Tribune, 3 Oct. 2020 That the hosts were doomed, again, by penalties at home — 13 flags, this time — continues to foster a sense of dubiety in this staff’s ability to fix what everybody and their uncle knows has been broken for months. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2019 Thankfully, any dubiety melts away with the burbling opening chords of Oh Baby, a propulsive slice of '80s synth-laden nostalgia that taps into the familiar feelings of longing and isolation that have become LCD's staple. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dubiety.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin dubietas, from Latin dubius

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dubiety was in 1750

Dictionary Entries Near dubiety

Cite this Entry

“Dubiety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dubiety. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!