Dubious | Definition of dubious by Merriam-Webster

Full Definition of DUBIOUS

1

: giving rise to uncertainty: as

a : of doubtful promise or outcome <a dubious plan>

b : questionable or suspect as to true nature or quality <the practice is of dubious legality>

2

: unsettled in opinion : doubtful <I was dubious about the plan>

— du·bi·ous·ly adverb

— du·bi·ous·ness noun

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Examples of DUBIOUS

The recent rumbles and ruptures in the financial markets are finally making people reassess the dubious systems of credit that have arisen in the past few years. —William Safire, New York Times Magazine, 19 Aug. 2007
Thus, the translation of the Latin word biographus as “a biography,” and the limitation of “biographies” to written, printed histories of men, was perhaps inevitable. Poor Dryden was given the dubious honor of being the first to use the generic term—despite the fact that his phrase had been taken out of the context of biographical compilers, in a discussion of Plutarch. —Nigel Hamilton, Biography, 2007
That indeed is the crux of the matter. Today especially, when community-oriented policing is being introduced everywhere, it seems not only ethically dubious but self-defeating to engage in practices that at their best undermine trust and cooperation between citizens and law-enforcement officials and at their worst foster cynicism toward our legal system. —Edwin Dobb, Harper's, May 2002
To avoid fees, the new “relationship” minimum for checking accounts jumped from $2000 to as much as $6000. And what would customers get in exchange? The ability to take advantage of such a dubious new benefit as a consolidated monthly statement. —Consumer Reports, March 1996
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Origin of DUBIOUS

Latin dubius, from dubare to vacillate; akin to Latin duo two — more at two

First Known Use: 1548

Related to DUBIOUS

Synonyms: debatable, disputable, dodgy [chiefly British], doubtable, doubtful, dubitable, equivocal, fishy, problematic (also problematical), queer, questionable, shady, shaky, suspect, suspicious

Antonyms: certain, hands-down, incontestable, indisputable, indubitable, questionless, sure, undeniable, undoubted, unproblematic, unquestionable

Synonym Discussion of DUBIOUS

doubtful, dubious, problematic, questionable mean not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something. doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty <doubtful about whether I said the right thing>. dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation <dubious about the practicality of the scheme>. problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain <whether the project will ever be finished is problematic>. questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded <a man of questionable honesty>.