What is the difference between doubt and if?
doubt | if |
Uncertainty, disbelief.
*
(ambitransitive) To lack confidence in; to disbelieve, question, or suspect.
* Hooker
* Dryden
(archaic) To fear; to suspect.
* 1819 , Lord Byron, Don Juan , I.186:
(obsolete) To fear; to be apprehensive of.
* R. of Gloucester
* Shakespeare
* Spenser
(obsolete) To fill with fear; to affright.
*
* Beaumont and Fletcher
Supposing that, assuming that, in the circumstances that;
Supposing that;
Although;
(computing) In the event that a statement is true (a programming statement that acts in a similar manner).
Whether;
* 1715–1717 , , Alma; or, The Progress of the Mind , Canto III:
(usually hyperbolic) Even if; even in the circumstances that.
* 2004', (singers), “'''If It’s The Last Thing I Do” (song), in ''You Do Your Thing (album):
(informal) An uncertainty, possibility, condition, doubt etc.
* 1709, Susannah Centlivre, The Busy Body'', Act III, in John Bell (ed.), ''British Theater , J. Bell (1791),
* 1791 January, "Richard?on’s Chemical Principles of the Metallic Arts''", in ''The Monthly Review , R. Griffiths,
* {{quote-news, year=2013, date=April 9, author=Andrei Lankov, title=Stay Cool. Call North Korea’s Bluff., work=New York Times
, passage=Even if they managed to strike Japan, the United States or South Korea with nuclear weapons — a big if , given that they do not have a reliable delivery system — they could not save themselves from ultimate defeat.}}
As nouns the difference between doubt and if
is that doubt is uncertainty, disbelief while if is (informal) an uncertainty, possibility, condition, doubt etc.As a verb doubt
is (ambitransitive) to lack confidence in; to disbelieve, question, or suspect.As a conjunction if is
supposing that, assuming that, in the circumstances that;.doubt
English
Alternative forms
* (l) (obsolete)Noun
(wikipedia doubt)- It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street.. He halted opposite the Privy Gardens, and, with his face turned skywards, listened until the sound of the Tower guns smote again on the ear and dispelled his doubts .
Verb
(en verb)- He doubted that was really what you meant.
- Even in matters divine, concerning some things, we may lawfully doubt
- To try your love and make you doubt of mine.
- He fled, like Joseph, leaving it; but there, / I doubt , all likeness ends between the pair.
- Edmond [was a] good man and doubted God.
- I doubt some foul play.
- I of doubted danger had no fear.
- The virtues of the valiant Caratach / More doubt me than all Britain.
Statistics
* English reporting verbsif
English
(wikipedia if)Conjunction
(English Conjunctions)- If it rains, I will get wet .
- I'd prefer it if you took your shoes off.
- He was a great friend, if a little stingy at the bar.
- If A, then B, else C.
- I don't know if I want to go or not.
- Quoth Matthew, “”
- If' it’s the last thing I do / '''If''' it takes me from Tubilo to Timbuktu / '''If''' it’s the last thing I do / I’m gonna dodge every road block, speed trap, county cop / To get my hands on you / ' If it’s the last thing I do.
Usage notes
* Specifically a subordinating conjunction.Derived terms
* iff * if and only if * if clause * if only * as if * even if * if so beAlternative forms
* ifen * iffenNoun
(en noun)page 59,
- Sir Fran.'' Nay, but Chargy, if——— ¶ ''Miran.'' Nay, Gardy, no Ifs'''.——Have I refus'd three northern lords, two British peers, and half a score knights, to have put in your ' Ifs ?
page 176,
- Well might Bergman add, (in his Sciographia,''), “if the compari?on that has been made, &c. be ju?t.” The pre?ent writer makes no ''ifs about the matter, and has ?uperadded a little inaccuracy of his own, […]
citation