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uncertain Definition

un·cer·tain (un sʉrt′'n)

adjective

    1. not surely or certainly known; questionable; problematic
    2. not sure or certain in knowledge; doubtful
  2. not definite or determined; vague
  3. liable to vary or change; not dependable or reliable
  4. not steady or constant; varying

Etymology: ME uncertayn

uncertain Related Forms

un·cer′·tainly adverb un·cer′·tain·ness noun

uncertain Synonyms

uncertain

modif.

  1. Doubtful in mind

    dubious, undecided, in a quandary; see doubtful 2.

  2. Not determined

    undecided, undetermined, unsettled, doubtful, changeable, unpredictable, improbable, unlikely, unfixed, unsure, indeterminate, haphazard, random, chance, casual, provisional, contingent, alterable, fluctuant, subject to change, possible, vague, conjectural, questionable, problematic, suppositional, suppositious, hypothetical, theoretical, open to question, equivocal, perplexing, debatable, dubious indefinite, unascertained, ambiguous, unresolved, debated, conjecturable, unknown, unannounced, imprecise, up in the air, in doubt, in abeyance, still in debate, on the knees of the Gods*.

uncertain Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • inherently: It provides a hedge against an inherently uncertain future.
  • somewhat: The weather was fine and cold, but the light somewhat uncertain.
  • increasingly: Today he is facing an increasingly uncertain future professionally.
  • highly: The case of Psion says something about business success in highly uncertain, future oriented industries.
  • still: At the time of writing the success of the mission is still uncertain.
  • rather: I was rather uncertain with God's call in the early 90s.

Preposition: at

moment: With everything so uncertain at the moment, the worst-case scenario would be to end up with nothing.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

leave: But the Lords left many important areas uncertain and in need of individual cases to work out the detail.

Modifies a noun

  • future: US armed forces face an array of uncertain futures.
  • outlook: This year's meeting takes place against the backdrop of a complex and uncertain international security outlook.
  • fate: These men may be deported to Libya to an uncertain fate under the " memorandum of understanding " that Blair signed with Gadaffi.
  • term: Tell them in no uncertain terms to " Move away " .
  • origin: The other is a portion of a mandible, which is also of uncertain origin.
  • prospect: This masks considerable regional variation, however, as well as uncertain prospects for the future.

Used with adjective complement

  • remain: Ultimately, the identity of the author remains rather uncertain.
  • seem: Nothing seems uncertain except whether a long slow roasting could cause such damage to 70 or 80 pounds of human tissue.
  • feel: Feeling uncertain about the future Secondary breast cancer can bring a lot of uncertainty to your life.
  • appear: It still appears uncertain about how the indebted consumer will react to multiple rate rises.
  • look: The future of the infant society looked uncertain at that time.
  • become: During the 1970s, the future of the cattle market became uncertain.