Dubitancy

/ˈduːbɪtənsi/ noun

Definition

The state or quality of doubting or being doubtful; hesitation or uncertainty in belief or action.

Etymology

From Latin 'dubitans,' the present participle of 'dubitare' (to doubt), combined with the English suffix '-cy' (as in fluency, frequency). A formal, archaic term.

Kelly Says

Medieval scholars used 'dubitancy' to describe the intellectual virtue of healthy skepticism—the idea that an educated person *should* have some dubitancy, not believe everything they're told.

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