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Doubtful vs Inconclusive - What's the difference?

doubtful | inconclusive | Synonyms |

As adjectives the difference between doubtful and inconclusive

is that doubtful is subject to, or causing doubt while inconclusive is not conclusive, not leading to a conclusion.

doubtful

English

Alternative forms

* doubtfull (archaic)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Subject to, or causing doubt
  • or showing doubt, sceptical
  • Undecided or of uncertain outcome
  • (obsolete) Fearsome, dreadful.
  • *, Bk.XIV, Ch.vii:
  • *:‘With whom,’ seyde Sir Percivale, ‘shall I fyght?’ ‘With the moste douteful champion of the worlde.’
  • Improbable or unlikely
  • Suspicious, or of dubious character
  • Unclear or unreliable
  • *{{quote-book, year=1922, author=E.R. Eddison, title=The Worm Ouroboros
    • , passage=The pupils of her great eyes were large in the doubtful lamplight, swallowing their green fires in deep pools of mystery and darkness.}}

    inconclusive

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Not conclusive, not leading to a conclusion
  • *{{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=May 5 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=He met Luis Suarez's cross at the far post, only for Chelsea keeper Petr Cech to show brilliant reflexes to deflect his header on to the bar. Carroll turned away to lead Liverpool's insistent protests that the ball had crossed the line but referee Phil Dowd and assistant referee Andrew Garratt waved play on, with even a succession of replays proving inconclusive .}}