doubtful

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English douteful,^[2][3][4] formed from Middle English doute + -ful.^[2][3][5][6] The noun doubt is from Old French doute, also dute and dote, from douter,^[5] from Latin dubitō (“to waver in opinion, hesitate”),^[5][6] related to dubius (“wavering”),^[5] and Etymonline takes it from duo (“two”), with the idea of being of two minds.^[6] The b of the modern spelling is due to the influence of Latin.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

To be dreaded or feared: 1397–8, in Gregory's Chronicle, a sense now dead.^[5] The sense "ambiguous, uncertain" is found in the later version of the Wycliffite Bible (about 1395, in a manuscript of before 1425), rendering Latin ambigua at Ezekiel 12:24,^[5][3] and Etymonline dates the word to the late 14th century as "causing doubt, not distinct".^[6]

Semantic evolution

The word's senses reflect both meanings of Middle English doute, uncertainty and fear.^[6][5] On the side of fear it meant "to be dreaded" until 1556, "giving cause for apprehension" until 1776, and "apprehensive" from 1548 to 1791.^[5] The Shorter Oxford marks the second of these as archaic.^[7] On the side of uncertainty, it was first applied to things, then to outcomes, and then to people unsettled in opinion: the OED dates these uses from before 1425, 1562 and 1509, while Etymonline finds "of uncertain issue" from about 1400 and "full of doubt, hesitant" from the early 15th century.^[5][6] Johnson (1755) put "not settled in opinion" first, followed by "ambiguous" and "uncertain".^[8] The sense "of questionable character" is modern, from 1838,^[5] and so is "not to be relied on", recorded in 1925 from T. E. Lawrence and now used especially of a competitor who may not take part.^[5][9] English has also tried doubtous (mid 14th century), doutive and douty (late 14th century), doubtable (about 1400) and doubtsome (1510s) in some of these senses.^[6]

Timeline

• 1397 – to be dreaded or feared (obsolete by 1556).^[5]
• c. 1400 – giving cause for apprehension (obsolete by 1776).^[5]
• before 1425 – of things, uncertain, ambiguous.^[5][3]
• 1509 – of people, unsettled in opinion.^[5] Etymonline finds this sense from the early 15th century.^[6]
• 1548 – apprehensive, full of fear (obsolete by 1791).^[5]
• 1562 – of uncertain outcome.^[5] Etymonline finds this sense from about 1400.^[6]
• 1589 – noun, a doubtful person or thing.^[5]
• 1838 – of questionable character.^[5]
• 1871 – in prosody, of a syllable that may be long or short.^[5]
• 1925 – not to be relied on, especially of a competitor who may withdraw.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Not likely; improbable: It is doubtful that the ferry will sail tonight.^[9]
2. Open to question; uncertain or ambiguous: a doubtful reading of the clause.^[9][2][5]
3. Not yet settled; of uncertain outcome: The election remained doubtful until the last count.^[9][5]
4. Of questionable character or reputation: He kept doubtful company.^[9][5][7]
5. Feeling doubt or misgivings: She was doubtful about the plan.^[9][5]
6. Of a player or other competitor, not likely to be fit to take part.^[9][5]
7. In prosody, of a syllable, that may be either long or short.^[5]
8. Giving cause for apprehension; perilous (archaic).^[2][7][5]
9. Full of fear; apprehensive (obsolete, 1548–1791).^[5][7]
10. To be dreaded; dreadful (obsolete, 1397–1556).^[5][7]

Noun

1. A person who has not made up their mind on an issue.^[9][7]
2. A competitor unlikely to be fit to take part.^[9]

Word family

• doubtfully
• doubtfulness
• undoubtful

Related words

• dubious
• doubt

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
3. ^ a b c d Kurath, Hans; Kuhn, Sherman M.; Lewis, Robert E., eds. (1952–2001), Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press; online edition ed. Frances McSparran et al. (2000–2018)
4. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 27 28 29 30 31 Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c d e f Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins