Cartesian doubt: Meaning and Definition of

Carte'sian doubt'

Pronunciation: [key]
— Philos. Philos.
  1. willful suspension of all interpretations of experience that are not absolutely certain: used as a method of deriving, by elimination of such uncertainties, axioms upon which to base theories.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.