verbfirst conjugation
dubitō
dubitō (present infinitive dubitāre, perfect active dubitāvī, supine dubitātum)
Classical[ˈdʊ.bɪ.toː]Ecclesiastical[ˈduː.bi.to]
dubitātus perf. pass. ptcp.№ 521 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- to waver (in opinion), be uncertain, doubt, question, be in doubt
Dubitando ad veritatem venimus
(Through) doubting we come to the truthc. 1121, Pierre Abélard, Sic et Non: - to waver (in coming to a decision), hesitate, delay
- to reflect upon, ponder, consider, deliberate
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
incertus sum; etiam: nōn audeō.dubitō -āre — in Mille Verba, Animus et Adfectūs
haesitō, incertus sumdubitō -āre — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 12, 26
Conjugation conjugation 1
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | dubitō | dubitābam | dubitābō | dubitāvī | dubitāveram dubitāram | dubitāverō dubitārō |
| 2nd sg. | dubitās | dubitābās | dubitābis | dubitāvistī dubitāstī | dubitāverās dubitārās | dubitāveris dubitāris |
| 3rd sg. | dubitat | dubitābat | dubitābit | dubitāvit dubitāt | dubitāverat dubitārat | dubitāverit dubitārit |
| 1st pl. | dubitāmus | dubitābāmus | dubitābimus | dubitāvimus dubitāmus | dubitāverāmus dubitārāmus | dubitāverimus dubitārimus |
| 2nd pl. | dubitātis | dubitābātis | dubitābitis | dubitāvistis dubitāstis | dubitāverātis dubitārātis | dubitāveritis dubitāritis |
| 3rd pl. | dubitant | dubitābant | dubitābunt | dubitāvērunt dubitārunt, dubitāvēre | dubitāverant dubitārant | dubitāverint dubitārint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | dubitem | dubitārem | dubitāverim dubitārim | dubitāvissem dubitāssem |
| 2nd sg. | dubitēs | dubitārēs | dubitāverīs dubitārīs | dubitāvissēs dubitāssēs |
| 3rd sg. | dubitet | dubitāret | dubitāverit dubitārit | dubitāvisset dubitāsset |
| 1st pl. | dubitēmus | dubitārēmus | dubitāverīmus dubitārīmus | dubitāvissēmus dubitāssēmus |
| 2nd pl. | dubitētis | dubitārētis | dubitāverītis dubitārītis | dubitāvissētis dubitāssētis |
| 3rd pl. | dubitent | dubitārent | dubitāverint dubitārint | dubitāvissent dubitāssent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | dubitor | dubitābar | dubitābor |
| 2nd sg. | dubitāris dubitāre | dubitābāris dubitābāre | dubitāberis dubitābere |
| 3rd sg. | dubitātur | dubitābātur | dubitābitur |
| 1st pl. | dubitāmur | dubitābāmur | dubitābimur |
| 2nd pl. | dubitāminī | dubitābāminī | dubitābiminī |
| 3rd pl. | dubitantur | dubitābantur | dubitābuntur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | dubiter | dubitārer |
| 2nd sg. | dubitēris dubitēre | dubitārēris dubitārēre |
| 3rd sg. | dubitētur | dubitārētur |
| 1st pl. | dubitēmur | dubitārēmur |
| 2nd pl. | dubitēminī | dubitārēminī |
| 3rd pl. | dubitentur | dubitārentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | dubitā | dubitāre |
| pres. 2nd pl. | dubitāte | dubitāminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | dubitātō | dubitātor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | dubitātō | dubitātor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | dubitātōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | dubitantō | dubitantor |
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | dubitāre | dubitārī |
| perfect infinitive | dubitāvisse dubitāsse | dubitātum esse |
| future infinitive | dubitātūrum esse | dubitātum īrī |
| present participle | dubitāns | — |
| perfect participle | — | dubitātus dubitāta, dubitātā, dubitātae, dubitātam, dubitātārum, dubitātās, dubitātī, dubitātōrum, dubitātōs |
| future participle | dubitātūrus dubitātūra, dubitātūrā, dubitātūrae, dubitātūram, dubitātūrārum, dubitātūrās, dubitātūre, dubitātūrī, dubitātūrīs, dubitātūrō, dubitātūrōrum, dubitātūrōs, dubitātūrum | dubitandus dubitanda, dubitandā, dubitandae, dubitandam, dubitandārum, dubitandās, dubitande, dubitandīs, dubitandōrum, dubitandōs |
gerunddubitandī, dubitandō, dubitandumsupinedubitātum, dubitātū
dŭbĭto, āvi, ātum, 1,
I. v. freq. n. and a. [for duhibitare, freq. from duhibeo, i. e. duohabeo (cf. habitare from habeo), to have or hold, as two, v. dubius; cf. also Gr. δοιάζω from δοιοί; Germ. zweifeln from zwei], to vibrate from one side to the other, to and fro, in one's opinions or in coming to a conclusion (freq. in all periods and sorts of composition; in class. prose usually with negations or in a negative interrogation, as: non dubito, haud dubito, quis dubitat? etc.
I. To waver in opinion or judgment, to be uncertain, to be in doubt, to doubt, question.
(a). Absol. (rare but class.): ne vinolenti quidem quae faciunt eadem approbatione faciunt qua sobrii;
dubitant, haesitant, revocant se interdum, Cic. Ac. 2, 17, 52; cf. id. ib. 2, 23, 72: et interrogamus et dubitamus et affirmamus, Quint. 6, 3, 70; cf. id. 10, 1, 19; 10, 3, 19: Livius frequentissime dubitat, id. 2, 4, 19; 9, 2, 20: vivo equidem, ne dubita; nam vera vides, Verg. A. 3, 316: ut jam liceat una comprehensione omnia complecti non dubitantemque (= sine ulla dubitatione) dicere, Cic. Fin. 5, 9, 26; id. Fam. 5, 16, 4 Madv.; so id. Div. 1, 55, 125.—(b). With de (class.):
de indicando dubitat, Cic. Sull. 18, 52; id. Fam. 12, 17; Quint. 1, 10, 29; 4, 5, 13.—With a negation: nec vero de hoc quisquam dubitare posset, nisi, etc., Cic. Tusc. 1, 30, 73: de aliqua re, id. N. D. 1, 8: de divina ratione, id. ib. 2, 39, 99: de tua erga me voluntate, id. Fam. 13, 45 fin.; cf. id. Att. 12, 26: de ejus fide, Caes. B. G. 7, 21, 1: cf. id. ib. 7, 77, 10; 1, 40 fin.: de carminibus, Quint. 10, 5, 4: de ultima illa (parte), id. 12, 2, 10: de se, Pompei ap. Cic. Att. 8, 12 A et saep.—Pass. impers.: de armis dubitatum est, Cic. Caecin. 13, 38: de judicio Panaetii dubitari non potest, id. Off. 3, 3; so, de auctore, Quint. 7, 2, 8: de hac (virtute) nihil dubitabitur, id. 2, 20, 7.—(g). With acc. (in class. prose only with a neutr. pron.):
haec non turpe est dubitare philosophos, quae ne rustici quidem dubitant? Cic. Off. 3, 19, 77; Quint. 2, 17, 2; Plaut. Ps. 2, 1, 2; Ov. H. 17, 37; id. M. 6, 194; id. Tr. 2, 331.—In the pass.: causa prorsus, quod dubitari posset, nihil habebat, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 22; cf. id. ib. 28; Liv. 5, 3: dubitati tecta parentis, Ov. M. 2, 20: sidera, Stat. S. 1, 4, 2: ne auctor dubitaretur, Tac. A. 14, 7; cf. infra, ε: dicta haud dubitanda, Verg. A. 3, 170.—(d). With an interrog. pron. (good prose, but rare):
ubi tu dubites, quid sumas potissimum, Ter. Ph. 2, 2, 29: non dubito, quid nobis agendum putes, Cic. Att. 10, 1, 2; id. Fam. 11, 17, 2; 15, 9; Caes. B. C. 2, 32, 10: cur dubitas, quid de re publica sentias? Cic. Rep. 1, 38 fin.; cf. id. ib. 3, 17 fin.; id. de Imp. Pomp. 16 fin.—(ε) With interrog. particles (very freq. and class.): si me non improbissime tractasset, dubitassem fortasse utrum, etc., Cic. Att. 16, 15, 1: desinite dubitare, utrum sit utilius, etc. . . . an, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 89; cf. impers., id. Att. 4, 15, 7; Liv. 5, 3: honestumne factu sit an turpe dubitant, Cic. Off. 1, 3, 9: dubitavi, hos homines emerem, an non emerem, Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 95; cf. Sall. J. 74, 2; Hor. C. 1, 12, 35: recte necne, etc., id. Ep. 2, 1, 80: licet et dubitare num quid nos fugerit, Quint. 6, 1, 3: dubito, num, etc., Plin. Ep. 6, 27, 1; Tac. H. 2, 37; de L. Bruto fortasse dubitarim, an, etc., Cic. Tusc. 4, 22, 50 et saep.—Cf. respecting the expression dubito an, the art. an, II., and Zumpt, Gramm. § 354.—Poet. in pass. (cf. supra, γ): an dea sim, dubitor, Ov. M. 6, 208.—(ζ) Non dubito, quin (very freq. and class.): non hercle dubito, quin tibi ingenio nemo praestiterit, Cic. Rep. 1, 23; id. Div. 1, 57, 129; id. de Sen. 10, 31; id. Att. 6, 2, 3; id. Fam. 13, 73 fin.; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 40: numquid tu dubitas quin ego nunc perpetuo perierim? Have you a doubt? etc., Ter. Eun. 5, 8, 13; Caes. B. G. 1, 17, 4; 1, 31, 15; Quint. 12, 1, 42; Suet. Tib. 17; Ov. H. 17, 11; 245; id. Tr. 5, 7, 59 et saep.; cf. pass. impers.: dubitari (non) potest, quin, etc., Cic. Ac. 2, 23 fin.; id. Off. 3, 2, 9; Quint. 10, 2, 1: dubitari potest quin usque eo eicienda sit, Sen. Contr. 1, 3, 1: illud cave dubites, quin, etc., Cic. Fam. 5, 20, 6; quid dubitas, quin sit, etc., Plaut. Aul. 2, 1, 42; so in an interrog., id. Poen. 1, 1, 55; 4, 2, 59; Quint. 7, 6, 10; cf. Cic. N. D. 2, 38, 97; Caes. B. G. 7, 38, 8.—(η) With acc. and inf. (freq. only since the Aug. period, and in gen. only negatively; not found in Plaut., Ter., or Cic.; but usual in Nepos): neque humorem dubitavi aurasque perire, Lucr. 5, 249: gratos tibi esse qui de me rumores afferuntur, non dubito, Cic. Fil. Fam. 16, 21, 2 (cf., on the contrary, § 7: noli dubitare, quin te sublevaturus sim): ignorabant aut dubitabant animas hominum immortales esse, Lact. 6, 3, 5: non dubito, fore plerosque qui, etc., Nep. praef. § 1; id. Milt. 3, 6; id. Lys. 3, 5; id. Alcib. 9, 5; id. Ages. 3, 1; id. Eum. 2, 3; id. Hann. 11, 2; Liv. 2, 64; 22, 55 Drak. et saep.; Quint. 3, 7, 5; 5, 10, 76; 9, 4, 114; Suet. Claud. 35 et saep.; cf. in an interrog.: an est quisquam qui dubitet, tribunos offensos esse? Liv. 5, 3; so, quis dubitat, Quint. 9, 4, 68; 130; 10, 1, 81. —Pass. impers.: an dubitabitur, ibi partes oratoris esse praecipuas? id. prooem. § 12. —Affirm.: piraticam ut musicam, fabricam dici adhuc dubitabant mei praeceptores, Quint. 8, 3, 34.—2. Transf., of inan. and abstr. subjects, to be uncertain, doubtful:
si tardior manus dubitet, Quint. 5, 10, 124: suspensa ac velut dubitans oratio, id. 10, 7, 22: aut vincere aut, si fortuna dubitabit (= adversabit), etc., Liv. 21, 44 fin.: nec mox fama dubitavit, cum, etc., Flor. 1, 1, 2.—B. Meton., to reflect upon, to ponder, consider, deliberate:
in utramque partem cogitare, deliberare, etc. (very rare): haec dum dubitas, menses abierunt decem, Ter. Ad. 4, 5, 57: restat, judices, ut hoc dubitemus, uter, etc., Cic. Rosc. Am. 31, 88: percipe porro, quid dubitem, Verg. A. 9, 191: dubitaverat Augustus Germanicum rei Romanae imponere, had considered whether he should, Tac. A. 4, 57.II. To waver in coming to a conclusion, to be irresolute; to hesitate, delay.
(a). With inf. (so most commonly): non dubitaverim me gravissimis tempestatibus obvium ferre, Cic. Rep. 1, 4;
so with a negation, id. ib. 1, 15; id. Lael. 1; id. de Or. 1, 40 et saep.; Caes. B. G. 2, 23, 2: flumen transire, 6, 8, 1; id. B. C. 1, 71, 2; 2, 33, 2 and fin.; Verg. A. 7, 311; 8, 614 et saep.: quid dubitamus pultare atque huc evocare ambos foras? Plaut. Bacch. 5, 1, 29; so in an interrog., id. Mil. 4, 2, 17; id. Ps. 2, 2, 30; id. Poen. 3, 5, 44; Caes. B. C. 2, 34, 4; Quint. 12, 5, 3; 12, 10, 63; Verg. A. 6, 807 al.—Very seldom affirmatively: quod ea illi nubere dubitabat, Sall. C. 15, 2: accusat fratrem, quod dubitet omnia quae ad beatam vitam pertineant ventre metiri, Cic. N. D. 1, 40, 113: dubitat agnoscere matrem, Stat. Achill. 1, 250: si forte dubitaret quod afferretur accipere, Curt. 4, 5: isdem mandatum ut occiderent, si venire dubitaret, id. 10, 8.—Ellipt.: quod dubitas, ne feceris, Plin. Ep. 1, 18, 5.—(b). Non dubito quin (rare in Cic. and Caes.):
nemo dubitabat, quin, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 13; id. Mil. 23, 63; id. Agr. 2, 26, 69: tum dubitandum non existimavit, quin proficisceretur, Caes. B. G. 2, 2, 5; id. B. C. 3, 71, 1; cf.: nolite dubitare, quin huic uni credatis omnia, Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 23, 68; and in an interrog.: dubitabitis, judices, quin? etc., id. Fl. 17, 40; id. de Imp. Pomp. 16, 49.—(g). Absol. (rare):
te neque umquam dubitasse, neque timuisse, Caes. B. G. 1, 41, 3: sed mora damnosa est, nec res dubitare remittit, Ov. M. 11, 377: quid igitur ego dubito? Plaut. Am. 1, 2, 283; so in an interrog., id. Men. 5, 7, 6; Caes. B. G. 5, 44, 3; Verg. A. 9, 12: magnitudine supplicii dubitantes cogit, Caes. B. G. 7, 4, 9; id. ib. 7, 63, 3; Sall. C. 28, 1 al.: dubitantia lumina, failing, Sil. 10, 154. —Hence, A. dŭbĭtanter, adv. *
1. Doubtingly:
sine ulla affirmatione, dubitanter unum quodque dicemus, Cic. Inv. 2, 3, 10.—2. Hesitatingly, with hesitancy (very rare):
illum verecunde et dubitanter recepisse, Cic. Brut. 22, 87; cf. Asin. Pollio ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 31, 2.—B. dŭbĭ-tātim, adv. (i. q. dubitanter, 2.), hesitatingly, with hesitation (only in the foll. passages), Sisenn. ap. Non. 98, 33; so Cael. Ann. ib.
Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
dubitō āvī, ātus, āre, freq.
dubius, to waver in opinion, be uncertain, be in doubt, be perplexed, doubt, question : ut iam liceat non dubitantem dicere: de indicando: de quā (legione) non dubitaret, had full confidence , Cs.: de armis dubitatum est: si dubitatum est, utrum, etc., L.: haec non turpe est dubitare philosophos: Hoc quis dubitet? O.: si quod illorum dubitabitur: res minime dubitanda: dubitati tecta parentis, O.: qualis sit futurus (eventus belli), Cs.: quid fecerit: honestumne factu sit an turpe: Recte necne, etc., H.: si dubitet an turpe non sit, inclines to think : dubito an hunc primum ponam, perhaps , N.: an dea sim, dubitor, O.: non dubitat, quin sit Troia peritura, has no doubt : neque dubitare, quin libertatem sint erepturi, Cs.: qui potest dubitari, quin, etc.: non dubito, fore plerosque qui, etc., N.: haud dubitans Romanos abituros, L.: aut vincere aut, si fortuna dubitabit, etc., waver , L.— To deliberate, consider, ponder : dubitate quid agatis: restat ut hoc dubitemus, uter, etc.: percipe Quid dubitem, meditate , V.: an sontīs mergeret, O.— To waver, be irresolute, hesitate, delay : illi nubere, S.: omnia ventre metiri: transire flumen, Cs.: haud dubitans, without hesitation : eos hostīs appellare dubitamus?: non dubitaturus quin cederet: tum dubitandum non existimavit, quin proficisceretur, Cs.: quid dubitas? Cs.: perterritis ac dubitantibus ceteris, S.: nec res dubitare remittit, O.
Origins
Somewhat uncertain, but likely as a frequentative of dubō (attested only as a gloss by Paulus/Festus), denominative of *dubos (“in doubt”, adj.), from Proto-Indo-European *dwi- (“two-”) + *bʰuH- (“to be”). See dubius for details. For the relation to "two" cf. Ancient Greek δισσός (dissós, “twofold; doubtful”), δοιάζω (doiázō, “to be in two minds”) and German Zweifel (“doubt”).
Descendants
- Catalandubtar
- Italiandubitare
- Occitandobtar
- Occitandobtanza
- Frenchdouterfrom Old French doter
- Englishdoubtfrom Old French doter
- Englishdoubtancefrom Old French doter
- Frenchdoutancefrom Old French doter
- Frenchredouterfrom Old French doter
- Portugueseduvidarfrom Old Galician-Portuguese dovidar
In English words that came into English from dubitō
- doubtdubitō
- redoubtabledubitō
- dubitationdubitātiō
- dubitativedubitātīvus
- dubitabledubitābilis
- dubitantedubitante
- dubitatedubitātus
- indubitateindubitatus
- addubitationaddubitātio