uncertainty

[ uhn-sur-tn-tee ]
See synonyms for: uncertaintyuncertainties on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural un·cer·tain·ties for 2.
  1. the state of being uncertain; doubt; hesitancy: His uncertainty gave impetus to his inquiry.

  2. an instance of uncertainty, doubt, etc.

  1. unpredictability; indeterminacy; indefiniteness.

Origin of uncertainty

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English uncerteynte; equivalent to un-1 + certainty

Other words for uncertainty

Words Nearby uncertainty

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use uncertainty in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for uncertainty

uncertainty

/ (ʌnˈsɜːtəntɪ) /


nounplural -ties
  1. Also called: uncertainness the state or condition of being uncertain

  2. an uncertain matter, contingency, etc

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