LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

dubius

dubius (feminine dubia, neuter dubium)
Classical[ˈdʊ.bi.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈduː.bi.us]
dubiō sg. dat. m.; sg. dat. n.; sg. abl. m.; sg. abl. n.№ 528 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. adjectiveMoving in two directions alternately, vibrating to and fro, fluctuating, wavering
  2. adjectivefigurativelyVacillating in mind, wavering, uncertain, doubting, doubtful, dubious, irresolute, undetermined
    Miserā, timeō ‘incertum’ hoc quōrsum accidat. / Sed nunc peropus est aut hunc cum ipsā, aut dē illā aliquid mē advorsum hunc loquī: / dum in dubiō est animūs, paulō mōmentō hūc vel illūc impellitur.Oh dear, I fear this ‘uncertainty’ as to where it may lead. / But now it’s absolutely necessary either for him to talk with her, or for me to say something about her to him: / while the mind is in doubt, it is swayed this way or that by the slightest impulse.166 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, Andria 264–266
    [...] spemque dedit dubiae mentī, solvitque pudōrem.… and [Anna] gave hope to [Dido’s] wavering mind, and absolved [her sister’s sense of] shame.29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.55
  3. adjectivePrecarious, dangerous, critical, difficult, adverse, doubtful, in doubt
    exitus in dubiō estThe result is in doubt8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 2.781
  4. adjectiveChangeable, uncertain

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

incertus; rēs dubia.
dubius -a -um — in Mille Verba, Animus et Adfectūs

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Dubius · Ambiguus · Anceps

Dubius (δοιός) and ambiguus (ἀμφὶς ἔχων) denote doubt, with reference to success or failure, fortune or misfortune; anceps, with reference to existence itself, to the being or not being. Vell. Pat. ii. 79. Ea patrando bello mora fuit, quod postea dubia et interdum ancipiti fortuna gestum est. Tac. Ann. iv. 73. (v. 282.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativedubiusdubiadubium
genitivedubiīdubiaedubiī
dativedubiōdubiaedubiō
accusativedubiumdubiamdubium
ablativedubiōdubiādubiō
vocativedubiedubiadubium
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativedubiīdubiaedubia
genitivedubiōrumdubiārumdubiōrum
dativedubiīsdubiīsdubiīs
accusativedubiōsdubiāsdubia
ablativedubiīsdubiīsdubiīs
vocativedubiīdubiaedubia

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

in dubio ponere
to throw doubt upon a thing.
in dubium vocare
to throw doubt upon a thing.
in dubium venire
to become doubtful.
res dubiae, perditae, afflictae
a critical position; a hopeless state of affairs.
dubii rumores afferuntur ad nos
vague rumours reach us.
sine dubio (not sine ullo dubio)
without doubt, beyond all doubt.
aliquid dubium, incertum relinquere
to leave a thing undecided.
aliquid in medio, in dubio relinquere (Cael. 20. 48)
to leave a thing undecided.

dŭbĭus, a, um, adj. for duhibius, duohabeo, held as two or double, i. e. doubtful; cf. dubito, Corss. Ausspr. 2, 1027.
I. Moving in two directions alternately, vibrating to and fro, fluctuating (cf. ambiguus, anceps, incertus, perplexus, duplex).
A. Lit. (very rare): ut vas non quit constare, nisi humor Destitit in dubio fluctu jactarier intus, Lucr. 6, 556; cf.: fluctibus dubiis volvi coeptum est mare, Liv. 37, 16, 4.—Far more freq. and class.,
B. Trop., vacillating in mind, uncertain.
1. Act.
a. Wavering in opinion, doubting, doubtful, dubious, uncertain, = ambigens, haesitans, etc.: sin est is homo, anni multi me dubiam dant, Plaut. Ep. 4, 1, 17: quae res est, quae cujusquam animum in hac causa dubium facere possit? Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 10.— With an interrog. clause, A. and S. Gr. § 213 R. 4 (1.): temptat dubiam mentem rationis egestas, ecquae nam fuerit mundi genitalis origo, Lucr. 5, 1211; cf.: equites procul visi ab dubiis, quinam essent, Liv. 4, 40: dubius sum, quid faciam, Hor. S. 1, 9, 40: dubius, unde rumperet silentium, id. Epod. 5, 85: spemque metumque inter dubii, seu vivere credant, Sive extrema pati, Verg. A. 1, 218; cf. Liv. 1, 42: Philippus non dubius, quin, etc., id. 31, 42: haud dubius quin, id. 42, 14; Curt. 5, 12.—With acc. and inf.: dictator minime dubius, bellum cum his populis Patres jussuros, Liv. 6, 14; so, haud dubius, id. 31, 24; Curt. 9, 7: nec sum animi dubius, verbis ea vincere magnum Quam sit, well aware how hard it is, Verg. G. 3, 289; so, dubius with the genitives animi, Auct. B. Alex. 56, 2: mentis, Ov. F. 6, 572: consilii, Just. 2, 13: sententiae, Liv. 33, 25 Drak.: salutis, Ov. M. 15, 438: vitae, id. Tr. 3, 3, 25: fati, Luc. 7, 611 al.; cf. Zumpt, Gr. § 437; A. and S. Gr. § 213 R. 1 (a.).—
b. Wavering in resolution, irresolute, undecided (very rare): dubio atque haesitante Jugurtha incolumes transeunt, Sall. J. 107, 6; cf. hostes (opp. firmi), id. ib. 51 fin.: nutantes ac dubiae civitates, Suet. Caes. 4 fin.: quid faciat dubius, Ov. M. 8, 441.—Poet. transf.: cuspis, Sil. 4, 188.—
2. Pass., that is doubted of, uncertain, doubtful, dubious, undetermined (so most freq. in all periods and kinds of composition): videsne igitur, quae dubia sint, ea sumi pro certis atque concessis? Cic. Div. 2, 51, 106; cf. id. ib. 2, 50 fin.; id. Fin. 4, 24, 67; id. de Or. 1, 20, 92; id. Mur. 32, 68; Quint. 3, 4, 8; 7, 8, 6: nihil aegrius est quam res secernere apertas Ab dubiis, Lucr. 4, 468 (cf. verba, vague language, opp. aperta, Quint. 7, 2, 48): jus, opp. certum, id. 12, 3, 6; opp. confessum, id. 7, 7, 7: in regno, ubi ne obscura quidem est aut dubia servitus, Cic. Rep. 1, 31: dubium vel anceps genus causarum, Quint. 4, 1, 40; cf. id. 9, 2, 69: dubii variique casus, Auct. ap. Cic. Clu. 21, 58: et incerta societas, Suet. Aug. 17 et saep.: quia sciebam dubiam esse fortunam scenicam, Ter. Hec. prol. alt. 8: salus (opp. aperta pernicies), Cic. N. D. 3, 27, 69: spes pacis, id. Att. 8, 13: victoria, Caes. B. G. 7, 80, 6; cf.: victoria, praeda, laus, Sall. J. 85, 48: Marte, Vell. 2, 55, 3: spes armorum, id. 2, 71: discrimen pugnae, indecisive, Sil. 5, 519: proelia, Tac. G. 6: auctor, unknown, Ov. M. 12, 61 et saep.: an auspicia repetenda, ne quid dubiis diis agerem? i. e. unassured of their favor, Liv. 8, 32: dubii socii suspensaeque ex fortuna fidei (opp. fideles socii and certi hostes), id. 44, 18; cf. Caes. B. C. 1, 3, 5: Hispaniae, Tac. A. 3, 44; cf.: gens dubiae ad id voluntatis, Liv. 9, 15: lux, i. e. morning twilight, dawn, Ov. M. 11, 596: sidera, Juv. 5, 22; cf. nox, evening twilight, Ov. M. 4, 401: caelum, i. e. over cast, Verg. G. 1, 252: fulgor solis, Sen. Herc. Fur. 670; cf.: et quasi languidus dies, Plin. Ep. 6, 20, 6: dubiāque tegens lanugine malas, i. e. between down and a beard, Ov. M. 9, 398; 13, 754; cf.: dubia lanuginis umbra, Claud. Epith. Pall. et Cel. 42: vina, not sure to ripen, Plin. 18, 31, 74, § 319: consilia, wavering, Tac. Agr. 18 et saep.: hunc annum sequitur annus haud dubiis consulibus (shortly thereafter the contrary: Papirius Semproniusque, quorum de consulatu dubitabatur), Liv. 4, 8; so, haud dubius praetor, id. 39, 39 fin.: haud dubii hostes, open enemies, id. 37, 49: haud dubii Galli (opp. degeneres, mixti, Gallograeci vere), id. 38, 17: cena dubia, see below, II.—
b. In the neutr. absol.
(a). (Non, haud) dubium est, it is (not, not at all) doubtful, uncertain, undecided. (αα) Absol.: si quid erit dubium, Plaut. Ep. 5, 1, 40: haud dubium id quidem est, id. Poen. 3, 4, 27; Ter. And. 2, 3, 25; cf. in the interrog.: o! dubiumne id est? Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 49; id. Heaut. 3, 3, 46; id. Phorm. 5, 2, 9; and with the dat.: an dubium id tibi est? Ter. Heaut. 5, 1, 38; Cic. Fam. 4, 15.—(ββ) With de: de Pompeii exitu mihi dubium numquam fuit, Cic. Att. 11, 6, 5; so, de eorum jure, id. de Or. 1, 57: de re, Quint. 7, 3, 4; cf. id. 7, 6, 3.—(γγ) With an interrog. clause: illud dubium (est), ad id, quod summum bonum dicitis, ecquaenam fieri possit accessio, Cic. Fin. 4, 24, 67; cf. Quint. 7, 9, 12: hoc ergo, credo, dubium est, uter nostrum sit verecundior, Cic. Ac. 2, 41, 126: hoc enim dubium est, utrum ... an, Quint. 6, 3, 83: Ambiorix copias suas judicione non conduxerit ... an tempore exclusus, dubium est, Caes. B. G. 6, 31, 1: an dubium vobis fuit inesse vis aliqua videretur necne? Cic. Caecin. 11, 31 et saep.—Since the Aug. per. freq. dubium, absol. and adv.: codicilli, dubium ad quem scripti, Quint. 7, 2, 52: quo postquam dubium pius an sceleratus, Orestes venerat, Ov. Tr. 4, 4, 69; Suet. Caes. 58; id. Aug. 28; id. Tib. 10; Flor. 1, 1, 12; 2, 14, 3: Erechtheus, Justitiā dubium validisne potentior armis, Ov. M. 6, 678; cf. id. Pont. 3, 1, 17: neque multo post exstincto Maximo, dubium an quaesita morte, Tac. A. 1, 5; Flor. 1, 1, 8; 4, 2, 91 al.—(δδ) Non dubium est quin uxorem nolit filius, Ter. And. 1, 2, 1; id. Eun. 5, 6, 27; Cic. de Or. 2, 8, 32; id. Att. 13, 45; Quint. 11, 2, 10 et saep.: haud dubium est, quin, Ter. And. 2, 3, 17; 3, 2, 50; id. Ad. 5, 9, 19; and interrog., Quint. 3, 2, 1; 10, 1, 5. —(εε) With acc. and inf.: periisso me una haud dubium est, Ter. Hec. 3, 1, 46; so Liv. 38, 6; Suet. Caes. 52 fin.; cf. interrog.: an dubium tibi est, eam esse hanc? Plaut. Mil. 2, 5, 9.—Ellipt.: si exploratum tibi sit posse te, etc., non esse cunctandum: si dubium sit, non esse conandum, Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 5.—
(b). Dubium habere, to regard as uncertain, to doubt: an tu dubium habebis, etiam sancte quom jurem tibi? Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 112: an dubium habetis, num obficere quid vobis possit? etc., Sall. H. Fragm. III. 61, 8 Dietsch; cf.: haec habere dubia, neque, etc., Cic. Ac. 2, 9 fin. —
(g). In dubium: in dubium vocare, to call in question, Cic. de Or. 2, 34; cf.: illud me dixisse nemo vocabit in dubium, Asin. Pollio ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 31, 5. Vid. also under 3. b.: venire in dubium, Cic. Quint. 2; id. ib. 21, 67; Liv. 3, 13; cf.: alii non veniunt in dubium de voluntate, i. e. there is no doubt what their wish is, Cic. Att. 11, 15, 2. Vid. also under 3. b.—
(d). In dubio, in doubt, in question, undetermined: dum in dubio est animus, Ter. And. 1, 5, 31; cf. Luc. 7, 247: in dubioque fuere utrorum ad regna cadendum esset, etc., Lucr. 3, 836; cf. id. 1085; Quint. 7, 9, 9: aestate potius quam hieme dandum, non est in dubio, Plin. 25, 5, 24, § 59 et saep.: ut in dubio poneret, utrum ... an, etc., Liv. 34, 5. Vid. also 3. b.—(ε) Sine dubio, without doubt, doubtless, indisputably, certainly (very freq.; in Cic. more than twenty times; not in Caes. and Sall.): Th. Numquid dubitas quin? etc. Gn. Sine dubio, opinor, Ter. Eun. 5, 9, 14; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 2; 47; id. Cat. 2, 1; id. Balb. 24, 55; id. Tusc. 2, 7, 18; id. Off. 1, 29, 102; id. N. D. 1, 9, 23; id. Att. 1, 19, 2 et saep. Vid. the passages in Stuerenb. Cic. Off. p. 134 sq. Sometimes, esp. in Quint., with adversative particles: sed, verum, at, etc., no doubt, doubtless ... but, yet, etc.: cum te togatis omnibus sine dubio anteferret ... sed, etc.. Cic. N. D. 1, 21, 58; so with sed, id. de Or, 3, 57; Quint. 1, 6, 38; 5, 10, 53; 6, 3, 64; with sed tamen, id. 12, 6, 7; with tamen, id. 3, 8, 21; 5, 7, 28; 6, 4, 12; with verum, id. 8 prooem. § 33; with at, id. 8, 3, 67; with autem, id. 1, 6, 12 Spald.—(ζ) Procul dubio, beyond question, undoubtedly (very rare), Lucr. 3, 638; Liv. 39, 40 fin.; Plin. 18, 21, 50, § 187; and: dubio procul, Lucr. 1, 812; 2, 261.—
3. Meton., like anceps (4), doubtful, dubious, i. e. precarious, dangerous, critical, difficult (freq. but mostly poet.): res dubias, egenas, inopiosas consili, critical condition, Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 2; so, res, id. Capt. 2, 3, 46; id. Most. 5, 1, 1; Sall. C. 10, 2; 39, 3; id. J. 14, 5; Liv. 2, 50 fin.; Tac. A. 2, 62; Verg. A. 6, 196; 11, 445 al.; cf. pericla (with advorsae res), Lucr. 3, 55; 1076: tempora (opp. secunda), Hor. C. 4, 9, 36: mons erat ascensu dubius, Prop. 4, 4, 83; cf.: quae (loca) dubia nisu videbantur, Sall. J. 94, 2.—
b. In the neutr. absol. (i. q. discrimen, II. B. 2, and periculum): mea quidem hercle certe in dubio vita est, is in danger, Ter. And. 2, 2, 10 Ruhnk.; Sall. C. 52, 6; cf. Ov. Am. 2, 13, 2: sese suas exercitusque fortunas in dubium non devocaturum, Caes. B. G. 6, 7, 6; cf. Cic. Caecin. 27, 76: tua fama et gnatae vita in dubium veniet, Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 42; cf. id. ib. 2, 2, 35; Ov. H. 16, 138 Loers.— Plur. as subst.: hinc Italae gentes in dubiis responsa petunt, Verg. A. 7, 86: mens dubiis percussa pavet, Luc. 6, 596.
II. For the syn. varius, manifold, various (only in the foll. passages): o multimodis variūm et dubiūm et prosperūm copem diem, Pac. ap. Non. 84, 23 (Trag. Rel. p. 115, ed. Rib.). And so prob. is to be explained dubia cena, a multifarious, richly provided supper, Ter. Ph. 2, 2, 28 (for the subjoined explanation of Terence: ubi tu dubites, quid sumas potissimum, is only outwardly adapted to the meaning of dubius); so, dubia cena, Hor. S. 2, 2, 77; and: fercula dubiae cenae, Aus. Mos. 102; Hier. Ep. 22, no. 16.—Hence, adv., in two forms.
(a). dŭbĭe (acc. to I. B. 1.), doubtfully, dubiously (not in Plaut., Ter., or Caes.): potest accidere, ut aliquod signum dubie datum pro certo sit acceptum, Cic. Div. 1, 55.—Esp. freq. (particularly since the Aug. per.) with negatives: haud (rarely non) dubie, undoubtedly, indisputably, positively, certainly: etsi non dubie mihi nuntiabatur Parthos transisse Euphratem, tamen, etc., Cic. Fam. 15, 1 (nowhere else as an adv. in Cic.): non dubie, Quint. 7, 2, 6; 9, 4, 67; Front. Strat. 2, 3, 16; and with sed (cf. dubius, I. B. 2. b. ε), Quint. 11, 2, 1; so, too, nec dubie, Liv. 2, 23 fin.; Quint. 2, 14, 2; and with verum, id. 3, 4, 1; with sed, Tac. A. 4, 19 fin.: haud dubie jam victor, Sall. J. 102, 1 (cf. on the contrary in Cic.: sine ulla dubitatione hostis, Phil. 14, 4, 10; cf. Liv. 3, 38; Cic. Cat. 4, 3, 5); so, haud dubie, Liv. 1, 9; 13; 3, 24; 38; 53; 4, 2; 23; 5, 10 fin.; 33 fin.; 49 fin. et saep. (about 70 times; see the passages in Stuerenb. Cic. Off. p. 138); Quint. 10, 1, 85; Tac. A. 2, 43; 88; id. H. 1, 7; 46; 72; 3, 86; 4, 27 fin.; 80; id. G. 28; Suet. Caes. 55; id. Calig. 9; id. Galb. 2; Vulg. Lev. 13, 43.—
(b). dubio = dubie, App. M. 9, 2.

Origins

Somewhat uncertain, but likely derived from *dubos (“in doubt”, adj.), from Proto-Italic *du(i)βwos, from Proto-Indo-European *dwi- (“two-”) + *bʰuH- (“to be”), with the same latter element as in superbus, probus (less likely tribus), in this case parallel to Ancient Greek διφυής (diphuḗs, “of two shapes or natures”). Or less likely, directly from Proto-Indo-European *dubʰi- (“on two sides”). For the relation to "two" cf. Ancient Greek δισσός (dissós, “twofold; doubtful”), δοιάζω (doiázō, “to be in two minds”) and German Zweifel (“doubt”).

Descendants
  • Englishdubious
  • Italiandubbio
  • Portuguesedúbio
  • Siciliandùbbitu
  • TranslingualDubiaranea

Quick answers

What does dubius mean in Latin?
dubius, a adjective, means “Moving in two directions alternately, vibrating to and fro, fluctuating, wavering; Vacillating in mind, wavering, uncertain, doubting, doubtful, dubious, irresolute, undetermined; Precarious, dangerous, critical, difficu”.
How do you pronounce dubius?
In classical Latin, [ˈdʊ.bi.ʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈduː.bi.us].