Doubtfulness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A state characterized by a lack of conviction or certainty about beliefs or outcomes
2. The condition of being unsure or hesitant regarding the truth or result of something
3. A state marked by uncertainty and the absence of firm belief or assurance

Etymology: "Doubtfulness" is a plain compound: "doubtful" with the suffix "-ness" attached, the same pattern that produces "happiness" from "happy" or "readiness" from "ready." The "-ness" ending comes from Old English "-nes," which turned an adjective into a noun naming the quality it describes. So the word is literally "the quality of being doubtful." The older base, "doubtful," took shape in Middle English, where the form "doutefulnesse" appeared with the same meaning, and the spelling settled into the modern "doubtfulness" over the following centuries. "Doubt" itself came into English from Old French "doute," which descends from Latin "dubitare," meaning "to waver" or "to hesitate," and the sense of waving between two options is still visible in the word's core idea.

Synonyms: uncertainty, skepticism, disbelief, mistrust, apprehension

Antonyms: certainty, confidence, assurance, conviction, trust