doubtable

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English

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Etymology

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From Middle English doutable, from Old French doutable, dotable, equivalent to doubt +‎ -able.

Adjective

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doubtable (comparative more doubtable, superlative most doubtable)

  1. (uncommon) Capable of being doubted; doubtful; dubious; dubitable. See usage notes below.
    • 1971, L. J. Swingle, “On Reading Romantic Poetry”, in PMLA, volume 86, number 5, page 976:
      Descartes adopts the tool of a radical skepticism, submitting to question established beliefs, exposing them to the test of doubt, breaking them down when they prove doubtable.
  2. (obsolete) Fearsome; redoubtable.

Usage notes

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Philosophers often use "doubtable" in its literal sense of "capable of being doubted." In other scholarly and literary contexts, the more accepted direct synonym of "doubtable" is "dubitable." In all other usage, "doubtful" and "dubious" are far more common synonyms. See also dubious § Usage notes.

Synonyms

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  • (doubtful, dubious, capable of being doubted): uncertain

Coordinate terms

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Derived terms

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References

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