uncertain

[ uhn-sur-tn ]

/ ʌnˈsɜr tn /

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See synonyms for uncertain on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not definitely ascertainable or fixed, as in time of occurrence, number, dimensions, or quality.

not confident, assured, or free from hesitancy: an uncertain smile.

not clearly or precisely determined; indefinite; unknown: a manuscript of uncertain origin.

vague; indistinct; not perfectly apprehended: an abstruse novel with uncertain themes.

subject to change; variable; capricious; unstable: a person of uncertain opinions.

ambiguous; unreliable; undependable: Her loyalties are uncertain.

dependent on chance or unpredictable factors; doubtful; of unforeseeable outcome or effect.

unsteady or flickering, as light; of changing intensity or quality.

OTHER WORDS FOR uncertain

1 unsure, unpredictable.

3 unsettled, undetermined.

8 irregular.

See synonyms for uncertain on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of uncertain

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at un-¹, certain

synonym study for uncertain

1. Uncertain, insecure, precarious imply a lack of predictability. That which is uncertain is doubtful or problematical; it often involves danger through an inability to predict or to place confidence in the unknown: The time of his arrival is uncertain. That which is insecure is not firm, stable, reliable, or safe, and hence is likely to give way, fail, or be overcome: an insecure foundation, footing, protection. Precarious suggests great susceptibility to failure, or exposure to imminent danger: a precarious means of existence.

OTHER WORDS FROM uncertain

un·cer·tain·ly, adverbun·cer·tain·ness, noun

Words nearby uncertain

unceasing, unceasingly, uncensored, unceremonious, unceremoniously, uncertain, uncertainty, uncertainty principle, unchain, unchallenged, unchancy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use uncertain in a sentence

It’s essential for companies to capitalize on the essential time together during these uncertain times.
Best practices for Zoom board meetings at early-stage startups|Walter Thompson|February 12, 2021|TechCrunch
Startled and uncertain, Teichner takes in the proposal and answers with a solid maybe.
A ‘money pit’ dog, an ailing owner and one big question|Diane Cole|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
The end of this sickness is still uncertain and many months away, especially for those who live in the poorest parts of the planet.
The virus caused more than a pandemic. It set us all ablaze.|Philip Kennicott|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
Today, the hotel and restaurant remain closed, their future as uncertain as Riley’s.
Sommeliers have been forced to pivot in the pandemic, and their futures remain uncertain|Dave McIntyre|February 4, 2021|Washington Post

Back then, it was still uncertain whether fall marathons would be canceled.
Will Major Marathons Actually Come Back This Fall?|Martin Fritz Huber|February 4, 2021|Outside Online
If the certainty of the wisdom of uncertainty is itself uncertain, the force of the definition crumbles by logical standards.
The Birth of the Novel|Nick Romeo|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In war, he wrote, “everything is uncertain … all military action is intertwined with psychological forces and effects.”
How Clausewitz Invented Modern War|James A. Warren|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The jailer had a high-school-age daughter and was uncertain how to help her get in college,” writes Ferris.
The Tragic History of Southern Food|Jason Berry|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile, ISIS is on the march, and President Obama strikes an uncertain pose.
Iowa Frontrunner Mike Huckabee Talks to The Daily Beast|Lloyd Green|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even “destroyed” becomes an uncertain term when applied to these sort of digital files.
Your Arrest Video Is Going Online. Who Will See It?|Jacob Siegel|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Distance, the uncertain light, and imagination, magnified it to a high wall; high as the wall of China.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
Uric acid is decreased before an attack of gout and increased afterward, but its etiologic relation is still uncertain.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
An estate upon condition is one which depends upon the happening or not happening of some uncertain event.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
It is therefore uncertain from these statements which furnace consumes the greater quantity of air.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
Again Arabella inclined her head, and looked uneasily round as if uncertain whether to call for assistance.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for uncertain

uncertain

/ (ʌnˈsɜːtən) /

adjective

not able to be accurately known or predictedthe issue is uncertain

(when postpositive, often foll by of) not sure or confident (about)a man of uncertain opinion

not precisely determined, established, or decideduncertain plans

not to be depended upon; unreliablean uncertain vote

liable to variation; changeablethe weather is uncertain

in no uncertain terms

unambiguously
forcefully

Derived forms of uncertain

uncertainly, adverbuncertainness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with uncertain

uncertain

see in no uncertain terms.

uncertain

OTHER WORDS FOR uncertain

Origin of uncertain

synonym study for uncertain

OTHER WORDS FROM uncertain

Words nearby uncertain

Words related to uncertain

How to use uncertain in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for uncertain

Derived forms of uncertain

Other Idioms and Phrases with uncertain