Does the verb "doubt" have two meanings?

Question

Sometimes I get confused with sentences containing the word "doubt" as if this word could refer sometimes to one meaning and other times to another opposite one, in a sentence like for example "The president doubts that his visitor is Jewish", could not the word doubt here be used to convey one meaning which is the president thinks that the visitor is not Jewish and in another situation to convey the other meaning which is that the president have some doubts that his visitor is really Jewish?

You can use either "like" or "for example" not both. - Leatha, Feb 6, 2012

the president has some.... - katydew, Feb 6, 2012

Answer 1

That sounds like a discussion on the indicative vs subjunctive mood when the use pivots on the speakers desire to declare something or express a subjective reaction (doubt in this case).

Maybe we need to revisit those moods in English. Maybe we need two moods for the verb doubt...one to declare or express opinions or suppositions and one for expressing our personal feelings (doubt) about something. All of this time I thought that it was Spanish that was confusing. We [English] have to rely soley on context to glean the meaning.

I agree that only the context can solve this confusion it happened with me once while reading a novel and took me the full 4to5 next pages to decide which meaning the writer meant by this verb doubt and had this word been replaced with any other I would - --misterlonely--winterdays---, Feb 6, 2012

have decided the meaning soon. hope linguistis fix confusing situasions such these and make life easier for us - --misterlonely--winterdays---, Feb 6, 2012

Answer 2

Doubt is a word which implies some form of uncertainty; its opposite would be "to be certain". Try this link: link text

Yes, but he is referring to different degrees of uncertainty. I doubt that. often is a less assertive means of saying that we know something will not occur, is not true. - 0074b507, Feb 6, 2012