Word
doubtless
Phoneticsdoubt·less, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈdaʊtɫəs/
UK/dˈaʊtləs/
Sentence adverb
Definition
adv. without any doubt. You use this to say that something is almost certainly true, even if you cannot prove it yet.
adv. used to express that something is very likely or certain to happen or be true. Often used to concede a point before introducing a contrasting idea.
Examples
“He will doubtless succeed in his new job.”
“The new policy will doubtless cause some confusion among the staff during the first few weeks of implementation.”
“While the critic acknowledged the film's technical brilliance, he noted that it would doubtless struggle to find a wide audience due to its experimental narrative structure.”
Examples
simple
“He will doubtless succeed in his new job.”
contextual
“The new policy will doubtless cause some confusion among the staff during the first few weeks of implementation.”
complex
“While the critic acknowledged the film's technical brilliance, he noted that it would doubtless struggle to find a wide audience due to its experimental narrative structure.”
Usage
Sentence adverb — often placed after the first auxiliary verb or at the start of a clause to indicate the speaker's certainty.
Real-World Examples
“Photograph: David Levene/the Guardian Computer-generated renderings are a perpetual hostage to fortune, and MVRDV went gangbusters on Rotterdam ROCKS!, doubtless in an attempt to seduce the competition jurors.” “Once that deal is done attention will doubtless turn to filling the midfield chasm left by Tonali and Guimarães.” Etymology
From Middle English douteles, dowteles, equivalent to doubt + -less.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/doubtless