Meaning & use
undoubtedly
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Meaning
adverbnot comparable
Without any doubt; used to say that something is certainly true.
Grammar: Often placed before the verb or at the start of a sentence: she is undoubtedly talented.
Patterns
- undoubtedly the best
- undoubtedly true
- be undoubtedly something
She is undoubtedly the best player on the team.
The new law will undoubtedly cause debate.
Undoubtedly, the storm caused the delay.
Common combinations
- undoubtedly the best
- This is undoubtedly the best meal I have had.
- will undoubtedly
- The decision will undoubtedly upset some people.
- undoubtedly true
- It is undoubtedly true that sleep improves memory.
- undoubtedly one of
- He is undoubtedly one of the finest writers of his time.
- undoubtedly because
- She smiled, undoubtedly because she knew the answer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- certainly
- Certainly is slightly more neutral and also works as a reply, whereas undoubtedly is more emphatic in statements.
- definitely
- Definitely is more informal and often used in speech.
- unquestionably
- Unquestionably suggests that no one could reasonably question the point, and is a bit stronger.
- surely
- Surely can express hope or belief, and sometimes hints at doubt, which undoubtedly does not.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: undoubtedly or doubtless?
undoubtedly vs doubtless
Doubtless usually means very probably, while undoubtedly claims complete certainty.
Practice
Her years of training will ___ help her win the championship.
Choose one answer.
Undoubtedly fits a confident prediction that something is certain. Rarely, hardly, and scarcely all express small likelihood, so they contradict the positive sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “undoubtedly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.