doubt
v.
be uncertain, have misgivings
n.
misgiving, lack of certainty
Doubt
Doubt!!
doubt
Noun
1. the state of being unsure of something
(synonym) uncertainty, incertitude, dubiety, doubtfulness, dubiousness
(hypernym) cognitive state, state of mind
(hyponym) mental reservation, reservation, arriere pensee
2. uncertainty about the truth or factuality of existence of something; "the dubiousness of his claim"; "there is no question about the validity of the enterprise"
(synonym) dubiousness, doubtfulness, question
(hypernym) uncertainty, uncertainness
Verb
1. consider unlikely or have doubts about; "I doubt that she will accept his proposal of marriage"
(hypernym) disbelieve, discredit
(derivation) uncertainty, incertitude, dubiety, doubtfulness, dubiousness
2. lack confidence in or have doubts about; "I doubt these reports"; "I suspect her true motives"; "she distrusts her stepmother"
(hypernym) distrust, mistrust, suspect
(derivation) dubiousness, doubtfulness, question
Doubt
(v. t.)
To suspect; to fear; to be apprehensive of.
(v. t.)
To question or hold questionable; to withhold assent to; to hesitate to believe, or to be inclined not to believe; to withhold confidence from; to distrust; as, I have heard the story, but I doubt the truth of it.
(v. t.)
To fill with fear; to affright.
(v. i.)
Uncertainty of condition.
(v. i.)
To waver in opinion or judgment; to be in uncertainty as to belief respecting anything; to hesitate in belief; to be undecided as to the truth of the negative or the affirmative proposition; to b e undetermined.
(v. i.)
To suspect; to fear; to be apprehensive.
(v. i.)
Suspicion; fear; apprehension; dread.
(v. i.)
Difficulty expressed or urged for solution; point unsettled; objection.
(v. i.)
A fluctuation of mind arising from defect of knowledge or evidence; uncertainty of judgment or mind; unsettled state of opinion concerning the reality of an event, or the truth of an assertion, etc.; hesitation.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), edited by Noah Porter.
About
Doubt
The uncertainty which exists in relation to a fact, a proposition or other thing. An equipoise of the mind arising from an equality of contrary reasons.
The embarrassing position of a judge is that of being in doubt, and it is frequently the lot of the wisest and most enlightened to be in this condition; those who have little or no experience usually find no difficulty in deciding the most problematical questions.
Some rules, not always infallible, have been adopted in doubtful cases in order to arrive at the truth. 1. In civil cases, the doubt ought to operate against him, who having it in his power to prove facts to remove the doubt, has neglected to do so. In cases of fraud when there is a doubt, the presumption of innocence ought to remove it. 2. In criminal cases, whenever a reasonable doubt exists as to the guilt of the accused that doubt ought to operate in his favor. In such cases, particularly when the liberty, honor or life of an individual is at stake, the evidence to convict ought to be clear and devoid of all reasonable doubt.
No judge is presumed to have any doubt on a question of law, and he cannot therefore refuse to give a judgment on that account. Indeed, in some countries; e.g., China, ignorance of the law in a judge is punishable with blows.
This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.