unquestionably
Meaning
in a way that is complete and cannot be doubted
used to emphasize that something is definitely true
Structure
Usage
he is unquestionably the best candidate for the job.
the evidence was unquestionably clear.
this is unquestionably one of the finest novels of the century.
Etymology
the word 'unquestionably' is built upon the core latin root for inquiry, quaerere, which evolved into the english noun 'question'. the addition of the negative prefix 'un-' creates the adjective 'unquestionable', meaning not open to inquiry or doubt. finally, the adverbial suffix '-ably', itself a fusion of the capability suffix '-able' and the manner-forming '-ly', transforms it to describe an action performed in an indisputable manner. thus, the word's literal construction—"in a manner not capable of being asked about"—logically yields its modern sense of absolute certainty.
Analysis
- un: a prefix of germanic origin, meaning "not," used to form negatives. - question: from latin quaestion- (stem of quaestio 'a seeking, inquiry'), from quaerere 'to seek, ask'. functions as the core noun/verb root. - ably: an adverbial suffix from latin -abilis (capable of) via old french -able + english -ly (forming adverbs from adjectives). here, it modifies the adjective 'unquestionable' into an adverb.