duvida

Duvida, more correctly spelled dúvida in Portuguese, is the noun for doubt: a feeling of uncertainty, hesitation, or suspicion about something. It appears in everyday speech and in formal discourse, for example when evaluating evidence or making a decision. The term derives from Latin dubitare, meaning to hesitate or doubt. In contemporary Portuguese it is used with phrases such as estar em dúvida (to be in doubt) and não há dúvida (there is no doubt). The plural is dúvidas.

The related verb is duvidar (to doubt), and the adjective duvidoso (doubtful). A related expression is levantar suspeitas, while the concept of doubt features prominently in philosophy and epistemology through methodological doubt or doubt as a critical tool for inquiry. In Cartesian philosophy, methodological doubt was used to arrive at certain knowledge.

Dúvida also appears in religious and cultural contexts, where doubt may be framed as a test of faith or as a driver of inquiry. In psychology and cognitive science, doubt is treated as a cognitive process that weighs evidence, influences decision making, and can contribute to both healthy skepticism and indecision when excessive. See also skepticism, uncertainty, probability, and inference.