- I was fairly certain that I would be able to fly if I could merely flap my arms hard enough,
but Mary was dubious; she said I’d better flap my legs as well. - We were dubious about the team’s chance of success and, as it turned out, our dubiety
(doo BYE uh tee) was justified: The team lost.
Dubious and doubtful don’t mean exactly the same thing. A dubious person is a person who
has doubts. A doubtful outcome is an outcome that isn’t certain to occur.
- Sam’s chances of getting the job were doubtful because the employer was dubious of
his claim that he had been president of the United States while in high school.
Something beyond doubt is indubitable. A dogmatic person believes his opinions are
indubitable.
empirical (em PIR uh kul) adj relying on experience or observation; not merely theoretical
Mnemonics:- Marco Polo KNEW about the Chinese EMPIRE because he EXPERIENCED
it and OBSERVED it himself. - Good UMPIRES must make EMPIRICAL decisions.