Dubitancies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state or quality of having doubts or uncertainties; a feeling of hesitation or indecisiveness; the condition of expressing or experiencing hesitation or lack of conviction
2. An experience marked by a lack of certainty or confidence; a mental state involving skepticism or questioning; a disposition towards doubtful or hesitant judgments
3. The condition characterized by wavering or vacillation in belief; a hesitant or skeptical attitude; the presence of questioning or unresolved doubts in thought or opinion

Etymology: "Dubitancies" is the plural of "dubitancy," a noun that comes straight from Latin "dubitantia," the plural of "dubitans," the present participle of "dubitare," meaning "to doubt" or "to hesitate." The Latin verb is itself linked to "dubius," "doubtful," so the English word carries the same sense of wavering back to its source. The Latin root gives the word its basic shape: a state of being unsure, with the mind swinging between possibilities. Where "doubt" in English can be a single moment of uncertainty, "dubitancy" names the condition itself, which is why the plural form suits it. Each "dubitancy" is a separate episode of hesitation or unresolved questioning, and the plural gathers several of them together.

Synonyms: doubts, uncertainties, hesitations, misgivings, suspicions

Antonyms: certainties, convictions, assurances