Undoubtedness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state of being completely certain, with no room for any question or hesitation about something
2. Freedom from any doubt, so that a matter is accepted as fully and firmly settled
3. The condition of being unquestionably true or assured, leaving no reasonable grounds for uncertainty

Etymology: "Undoubtedness" is a plain formation: the adjective "undoubted" with the suffix "-ness" attached, turning a quality into a noun for the state of being that quality. "Undoubted" itself is built from "doubted," the past participle of "doubt," with the prefix "un-" meaning "not," so the whole chain reads as "not doubted," then "beyond doubt," and finally the state of being beyond doubt. The suffix "-ness" is among the oldest productive endings in English, descending from Old English "-nes(s)" and used since the earliest period of the language to make abstract nouns from adjectives. Because it attaches freely to native and borrowed adjectives alike, it lets English speakers coin a noun like this one whenever they need one. The word is a derivative rather than a historical borrowing, so its meaning follows directly from its parts.

Synonyms: certainty, certitude, indubitability

Antonyms: uncertainty, doubtfulness