Definition of indubitably

The origin of the word "indubitably" can be traced back to the late 16th century, when it emerged in English as a compound word formed from the Latin roots "in," "dubitare," and "-by" (meaning "not" and "uncertainty," respectively). The Latin verb "dubitare" means "to doubt" or "to have doubts," and it is related to the noun "dubitatio," which denotes a state of doubt or uncertainty. In English, the word "doubtful" (which essentially carries the same meaning) comes from this same Latin root. The prefix "in-" in "indubitably" serves to negate or reverse the meaning of the verb or adjective that it modifies. So in this case, "in-dubitare" translates to "not uncertain" or "not doubtful." Thus, a literal translation of "indubitably" in Latin would be "in-dubitatio," which can be broken down into its constituent parts as follows: "in" (meaning "not") + "dubitatio" (meaning "doubtfulness" or "uncertainty") + "-by" (meaning "not") = "not certainly not certain" or "certainly not uncertain" (again, the prefix "in-" serves to negate the first "not"). In short, then, "indubitably" is a word that indicates certainty, confidence, or lack of doubt, and it is derived from Latin roots that convey this same meaning.