Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.

Undoubtedly

Definition: Undoubtedly

Undoubtedly

Adverb

1. With certainty; "it's undoubtedly very beautiful".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "undoubtedly" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1258. (references)


Synonyms: Undoubtedly

Synonyms: beyond any doubt (adv), beyond question (adv), doubtless (adv), without doubt (adv). (additional references)

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Crosswords: Undoubtedly

English words defined with "undoubtedly": beyond any doubt, beyond questiondoubtlessNo doubtPast questionwithout doubt. (references)
Specialty definitions using "undoubtedly": bagbiterGordon RiotsHorseminifloppiesresuming pointWedding Knives, Werewolf. (references)

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Modern Usage: Undoubtedly

DomainUsage

Screenplays

Well, I don't know about superior, but we are undoubtedly the next stage of human evolution, after Homo sapiens that is. (The Tomorrow People; writing credit: Brian Finch)

The Fhrer has told his conference that the documents are undoubtedly genuine. (The Man Who Never Was; writing credit: Nigel Balchin; Ewen Montagu)

Yes, he's undoubtedly English. (The Garden of Allah; writing credit: Robert Hichens; W.P. Lipscomb)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Photo Album: Undoubtedly

ThumbnailDescription & CreditThumbnailDescription & Credit

Figure 32. Richter surface thermometer, used for measuring the surface waters of the sea. This model was constructed in 1911 by Carl Richter in Berlin. Little is known as to when and where this instrument was tested and used. Undoubtedly it was meant to measure the temperature of water acquired with a surface sampling bucket. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now.

Figure 65. 5-liter Comelli bottle created by Jean Comelli undoubtedly for water chemistry studies of Jean Brouardel. Left: descending. Right: ascending. Very little is known about the effectiveness of this instrument or where it was used. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

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Familiar Quotations: Undoubtedly

AuthorQuotation

Henry Ward Beecher

Is the great working class oppressed? Yes, undoubtedly it is. God has intended the great to be great and the little to be little.

Titus Maccius Plautus

There are occasions when it is undoubtedly better to incur loss than to make gain.

William Ellery Channing

Undoubtedly a man is to labor to better his condition, but first to better himself.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Historic Usage: Undoubtedly

AuthorDateQuotation

John Locke

1690

His words are, The like natural inducement hath brought men to know that it is no less their duty, to love others than themselves; for seeing those things which are equal, must needs all have one measure; if I cannot but wish to receive good, even as much at every man's hands, as any man can wish unto his own soul, how should I look to have any part of my desire herein satisfied, unless myself be careful to satisfy the like desire, which is undoubtedly in other men, being of one and the same nature? To have any thing offered them repugnant to this desire, must needs in all respects grieve them as much as me; so that if I do harm, I must look to suffer, there being no reason that others should shew greater measure of love to me, than they have by me shewed unto them: my desire therefore to be loved of my equals in nature as much as possible may be, imposeth upon me a natural duty of bearing to them-ward fully the like affection; from which relation of equality between ourselves and them that are as ourselves, what several rules and canons natural reason hath drawn, for direction of life, no man is ignorant. (Second Treatise of Government)

Communist Manifesto

1848

The abolition of bourgeois individuality, bourgeois independence, and bourgeois freedom is undoubtedly aimed at. (reference)

Brown v. Board of Education

1954

The most avid proponents of the post-War Amendments undoubtedly intended them to remove all legal distinctions among "all persons born or naturalized in the United States." (reference)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Use in Literature: Undoubtedly

TitleAuthorQuote

Emma

Austen, Jane

A charming place, undoubtedly.

Scarlet Letter

Hawthorne, Nathaniel

But we perhaps exaggerate the grey or sable tinge, which undoubtedly characterised the mood and manners of the age.

Les Miserables

Hugo, Victor

This undoubtedly comprises all the other bodies thrown into this ravine on the morrow after the battle.

Walden

Thoreau, Henry David

Undoubtedly the very tedium and ennui which presume to have exhausted the variety and the joys of life are as old as Adam.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Non-Fiction Usage: Undoubtedly

SubjectTopicQuote

Health

The pathophysiologic mechanisms leading to mental retardation are undoubtedly complex. (references)

The child who knows the illness is more serious than the usual childhood illness is undoubtedly afraid, and secrecy tends to isolate and increase fears. (references)

The observed clinical variability among individuals is partly due to these genetic factors, but environmental and lifestyle factors undoubtedly contribute to the variation. (references)

Business

The drive behind local demand is undoubtedly the fast growing food industry. (references)

Companies that have a diverse range of products will undoubtedly be at an advantage. (references)

China will undoubtedly increase the usage of fertilizer to further raise total agricultural production. (references)

Economic History

China

China's top leaders undoubtedly play a big role in deciding sensitive political cases. (references)

Argentina

Since the 1990s, the Argentine marketplace has undoubtedly experienced the effect of this wave. (references)

Chile

English is undoubtedly the international language for business, technical and professional studies in almost all sectors. (references)

Political Economy

Burma

This ruling will undoubtedly govern other state-level sanctions legislation. (references)

Trade

Ukraine

The discount rate was lowered from 29% (April, 2000) to 19% (June, 2001). The reduction of rates has only marginally influenced the banking sector, but this trend will undoubtedly stimulate banks to increase their medium-term credit activity. (references)

Lexicography

Devil's Dictionary

WEREWOLF, n. A wolf that was once, or is sometimes, a man. All werewolves are of evil disposition, having assumed a bestial form to gratify a beastial appetite, but some, transformed by sorcery, are as humane and is consistent with an acquired taste for human flesh. Some Bavarian peasants having caught a wolf one evening, tied it to a post by the tail and went to bed. The next morning nothing was there! Greatly perplexed, they consulted the local priest, who told them that their captive was undoubtedly a werewolf and had resumed its human for during the night. "The next time that you take a wolf," the good man said, "see that you chain it by the leg, and in the morning you will find a Lutheran."

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Speeches: Undoubtedly

SpeakerTermPhrase(s)

Andrew Jackson

1829-1837Under a liberal act of that sort he would undoubtedly be able to secure the services of most of the railroad companies, and the interest of the Department would be thus advanced.

William H. Taft

1909-1913The information that they have derived from such experts as they have found abroad will undoubtedly be found helpful in the solution of the difficult problem they have in hand.

Calvin Coolidge

1923-1929Undoubtedly the clarification of the principles of international law would be helpful, and the efforts of scholars to prepare such a work for adoption by the various nations should have our sympathy and support.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Usage Frequency: Undoubtedly

"Undoubtedly" is generally used as an adverb (general) -- approximately 99.29% of the time. "Undoubtedly" is used about 2,407 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)
Parts of SpeechPercentUsage per
100 Million Words
Rank in English
Adverb (general)99.29%2,3903,739
Noun (proper)0.71%1785,106
                    Total100.00%2,407N/A

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Undoubtedly

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.
 
ExpressionFrequency
per Day

lose now performer strong then undoubtedly will

3

undoubtedly

2

burdensome effort find may responsibility seem them these time undoubtedly well while will worth

2
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Modern Translation: Undoubtedly

Language Translations for "undoubtedly"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.

Albanian

  

pa dyshim (admittedly, by all means, certainly, decidedly, definitely, distinctly, doubtless, ex cathedra, far and away, implicitly, out and out, quite so, sure enough, sure thing, surely, unhesitatingly, without a doubt, without fail). (various references)

   

Arabic 

  

‏يقينا (assuredly), ‏من غير شك (no mistake), ‏بالتاكيد (indeed, obviously, of course, point blank, surely). (various references)

   

Bulgarian 

  

несъмнено (admittedly, doubtless, of a surety, out of question, sure), безспорно (doubtless, easily, with a vengeance). (various references)

   

Chinese 

  

無疑 (no doubt), 明明 (obviously, plainly), 容置疑地. (various references)

   

Czech

  

urèitì (absolutely, at all events, certainly, definitely, without fail), nespornì (admittedly, indisputably), nepochybnì (certainly, doubtless, easily, without doubt), bezpochyby (doubtless, no doubt, probably, surely), bez pochyby. (various references)

   

Danish

  

uden tvivl (no doubt). (various references)

   

Dutch

  

zeker (absolutely, certain, certainly, definitely, indeed, no doubt, probably, rather, sure, surely, without fail), bepaald (absolutely, certainly, definite, definitely, no doubt, without fail). (various references)

   

Esperanto

  

sendube (no doubt). (various references)

   

Faeroese

  

ivaleyst (certainly, no doubt). (various references)

   

Finnish

  

epäilemättä (doubtless, no doubt, unquestionably, without any doubt). (various references)

   

French

  

sans doute, sans aucune doute, indubitablement. (various references)

   

German

  

zweifelsohne (indubitably, no doubt, undeniably, unmistakably, unmistakeably, without doubt), zweifellos (beyond doubt, certainly, decidedly, definitely, doubtless, indubitable, indubitably, surely, unarguably, undeniably, undisputed, undoubted, undoubtful, unquestionably), unzweifelhafte. (various references)

   

Greek 

  

αναμφιβολώσ (unquestionably). (various references)

   

Hebrew 

  

למעל" מכל ספק, אל כון (surely), בלי ספק (certainly, doubtless, no doubt), בלא ספק, בו"אי (certainly, of course, sure, surely). (various references)

   

Hungarian

  

kétségtelenül (and no mistake, assuredly, by all odds, doubtless, downright, no doubt, questionless, undeniably). (various references)

   

Icelandic

  

vafalaust (no doubt). (various references)

   

Indonesian

  

niscaya (certainly, surely). (various references)

   

Italian

  

si capisce (no doubt). (various references)

   

Japanese Kanji 

  

屹度 (certainly, severely, sternly, surely, without fail). (various references)

   

Japanese Katakana 

  

きっと (certainly, severely, sternly, surely, without fail). (various references)

   

Korean 

  

확실하게 (Authentically, Certainly, surely). (various references)

   

Manx

  

gyn ourys (admittedly, clearly, definitely, doubtless, indubitably, without question), gyn dooyt (doubtless), dy shickyr (definitely, surely). (various references)

   

Papiamen

  

indudablemente (no doubt). (various references)

   

Pig Latin

  

oubtedlyunday

   

Polish

  

niewątpliwie. (various references)

   

Portuguese

  

semdúvidaalguma, semdúvida (certainly, indeed, rather, surely), sem dúvida (beyond question, in a dispute with, naturally, out of doubt, questionless, really, sure, surely), indiscutivelmente, incontestavelmente (decidedly, questionless). (various references)

   

Romanian

  

sigur (absolute, absolutely, assuredly, certain, certainly, cocksure, confident, convinced, decided, dependable, indeed, it must be, positive, reliable, reliant, safe, safely, secure, self confident, sound, steady, sterling, straight, sure, surely, tenacious, trustworthy, undeniable, unequivocal). (various references)

   

Russian 

  

несомненно (and no mistake, assuredly, by long odds, certain, certainly, clearly, decidedly, definitely, doubtless, evidently, for fair, forsooth, no doubt, out and out, surely, there is no question that, without doubt). (various references)

   

Serbo-Croatian

  

nesumnijvo. (various references)

   

Spanish

  

sin duda (clearly, in all probability, no doubt, without question, yea), indudablemente (beyond doubt, certainly, doubtlessly, out of doubt, without doubt, without question). (various references)

   

Swedish

  

otvivelaktigt (by all odds, doubtless, no doubt). (various references)

   

Turkish

  

kesin olarak (accurately, categorically, definitely, determinedly, exactly, firmly, flat, for certain, implicitly, ocularly, point blank, positively, precisely, really, rightly, unquestioningly), şüphesiz olarak. (various references)

   

Ukrainian

  

безсумнівно (beyond doubt, beyond question, certainly, clearly, decidedly, decisively, doubtless, easily, far and away, no doubt, out of dispute, out of doubt, questionless, surely, without doubt, without question). (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

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Ancestral Language Translations: Undoubtedly

LanguagePeriodTranslations
Latin500 BCE-Modern

certe, haud dubie, nimirum. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Misspellings: Undoubtedly

Misspellings

"Undoubtedly" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: ondoubtedly, undoubtadly, undoubtebly. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Rhyming with "Undoubtedly"

# of Phoneme MatchesPronunciationWord(s) rhyming with "undoubtedly" (pronounced undou"tudlē)
5-t u d l ēadmittedly, assertedly, belatedly, contentedly, excitedly, heatedly, pointedly, purportedly, repeatedly, reportedly, reputedly, unexpectedly, unprecedentedly, wholeheartedly.
4-u d l ēacidly, advisedly, allegedly, assuredly, avidly, avowedly, candidly, decidedly, deservedly, determinedly, doggedly, evenhandedly, guardedly, markedly, placidly, rapidly, rigidly, ruggedly, solidly, splendidly, stupidly, supposedly, timidly, unabashedly, unashamedly, validly, vividly, wickedly, wretchedly.
3-d l ēabsurdly, awkwardly, badly, baldly, blandly, blindly, boldly, broadly, coldly, cowardly, crudely, cuddly, dastardly, deadly, Diddley, downwardly, fondly, friendly, gladly, godly, goodly, grandly, haphazardly, hardly, hurriedly, idly, inwardly, kindly, loudly, madly, medley, mildly, niggardly, oddly, otherworldly, outwardly, profoundly, proudly, Ridley, roundly, rudely, sadly, secondly, shrewdly, soundly, straightforwardly, thirdly, unfriendly, ungodly, upwardly, weirdly, widely, wildly, worldly.

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

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Anagrams: Undoubtedly

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Words within the letters "b-d-d-e-l-n-o-t-u-u-y"

-2 letters: undoubled, undoubted.

-3 letters: obtunded, unbolted, undouble.

-4 letters: blunted, bounded, bundled, doubled, doublet, doubted, notedly, outduel, unlobed.

-5 letters: betony, beyond, blonde, bolted, bonded, bounty, buddle, bundle, bunted, buoyed, butled, buyout, double, doubly, dunted, dynode, louden, louted, lunted, nebuly, noddle, nodule, nudely, obtund, outbuy, outbye, toddle, tubule, unbelt, unbolt, unduly, undyed, untold, yodled.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.

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Alternative Orthography: Undoubtedly


Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)

55 6E 64 6F 75 62 74 65 64 6C 79

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)

American Sign Language (origins from 1620-1817 in Italy and, especially, France) (references)

=

Semaphore (1791, in France) (references)

Braille (1829, in France) (references)

Morse Code (1836) (references)

..-    -.    -..    ---    ..-    -...    -    .    -..    .-..    -.--.

Dancing Men (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1903) (references)

Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)

01010101 01101110 01100100 01101111 01110101 01100010 01110100 01100101 01100100 01101100 01111001

HTML Code (1990) (references)

&#85 &#110 &#100 &#111 &#117 &#98 &#116 &#101 &#100 &#108 &#121

ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)

0055 006E 0064 006F 0075 0062 0074 0065 0064 006C 0079

British Sign Language (Fingerspelling, BSL; 1992, British Deaf Association Dictionary of British Sign Language) (references)

Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)

5580708187688671707891

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INDEX

1. Definition
2. Synonyms
3. Crosswords
4. Usage: Modern
5. Images: Photo Album
6. Quotations: Familiar
7. Quotations: Historic
8. Quotations: Fiction
9. Quotations: Non-fiction
10. Quotations: Speeches
11. Usage Frequency
12. Expressions: Internet
13. Translations: Modern
14. Translations: Ancient
15. Derivations
16. Rhymes
17. Anagrams
18. Orthography
19. Bibliography


  

Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.