indubitably

WOTD – 16 September 2008    

English

Etymology

indubitable + -ly

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ɪnˈdjuː.bɪ.tə.bli/
• (US) IPA: /ɪnˈdu.bɪ.tə.bli/, /ɪnˈdju.bɪ.tə.bli/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adverb

indubitably (not comparable)

1. In a manner that leaves no possibility of doubt; undoubtedly.
   • 1871, Thomas Hardy, Desperate Remedies, ch. 18:

     Now his first suspicion was indubitably confirmed.

   • 1907, William James, "Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking":

     The world is indubitably one if you look at it in one way, but as indubitably is it many, if you look at it in another. It is both one and many—let us adopt a sort of pluralistic monism.

Usage notes

Currently particularly used as a humorous interjection, particularly in American English, and seen as somewhat affected, if not outright campy. Compare this use by comedy cartoon Goofy Gophers (US, 1947–65).

Synonyms

• undoubtably, unquestionably, doubtlessly, assuredly, certainly, sure thing, without a doubt

Related terms

• indubitable

Translations

Undoubtedly; unquestionably

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 毫無疑問 (cmn), 毫无疑问 (cmn) (háowúyíwèn)

• Dutch: ongetwijfeld (nl), zonder twijfel (nl) f
• Finnish: epäilyksettä, epäilemättä, kiistattomasti
• French: indubitablement (fr)

• German: unzweifelhaft (de)
• Icelandic: ótvíræðlega (is), óhrekjanlega (is)
• Russian: несомненно (ru) (nesomnenno), безусловно (ru) (bezuslovno)
• Swedish: utan tvivel (sv), otvivelaktigt (sv)

References

• indubitably in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• “indubitably” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.
• Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.