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uncertain

[uhn-sur-tn]

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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.

EXPAND

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.

COLLAPSE

Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English; see un-¹, certain

Related forms

un·cer·tain·ly, adverb

un·cer·tain·ness, noun

Synonyms
1. unsure, unpredictable. 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. 3. unsettled, undetermined. 8. irregular.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Uncertain is always a great word to know.

So is bezoar. Does it mean:

a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

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Example Sentences

Solomon resigned, and the fate of the paper now seems uncertain.

It is uncertain how soon or how fast the oil will start gurgling again.

With few left to work the fields according to the old ways their future is uncertain.

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Solomon resigned, and the fate of the paper now seems uncertain.

It is uncertain how soon or how fast the oil will start gurgling again.

With few left to work the fields according to the old ways their future is uncertain.

Yet decision makers insist that they bring clarity when information is scarce and outcomes uncertain.

Schwitters, uncertain whether or not the extension on the ladder was locking securely, jiggled it warily.

Also known as pie cherry, this species is of uncertain origin.

That, it turns out, is a scientifically uncertain and even controversial question.

The euro zone is moving closer towards an uncertain fiscal union.

The scientists are uncertain precisely when the boreoeutherian ancestor lived.

Ida's significance was described in no uncertain terms as the missing link between us humans and our primate kin.

Plants do not come true from seed–most seedlings tend toward an uncertain purplish pink, though some may be attractive.

When people face an uncertain situation, they don't carefully evaluate the information or look up relevant statistics.

The long-term outlook in their home market-which still accounts for about two-thirds of output-is uncertain.

Whether extinct dinosaurs had the same physiology as living mammals and birds remains uncertain.

Irene's forecast path gets more uncertain later on, so the hurricane may move out to sea or move further inland.

If you're uncertain which type of soil you have, take a sample to your local cooperative extension office.

Cognitive biases are a useful mechanism for dealing with uncertain but potentially important information.

Neither demand was realistic: the way ahead is too uncertain.

Ethanol's role is currently larger, though its future as an automobile fuel remains uncertain.

In the meantime, villagers were skeptical and uncertain about how to use the government's more formal seasonal climate forecasts.

Western cities potentially running out of water, the uncertain impacts of climate change and continued population growth.

The crater offers steep sides and uncertain footing.

Whether and when this might happen, though, is uncertain.

The prognosis for the giant jumping rat may be better than expected, but it is still uncertain.

For anyone uncertain about this: the test is a scam.

How many mortgage holders will now seek redress is uncertain.

The feather fossils were found separate from the skeleton, so the scientists are uncertain what species of bird they belonged to.

Just as important, it knows and admits when it is baffled or uncertain.

Scientists are uncertain as to exactly how the fossil was preserved.

Sixty years later the fate of a watery shrine remains uncertain.

Because birds become less vocal in winter, the northern limit of wintering birds is somewhat uncertain.

Long stretches of the palm-fringed, gold-sand coastline are in foreign hands, with uncertain implications for sustainability.

Still, she added, researchers are uncertain as to what is causing the sea otters' immune systems to shut down.

And, in the case of lithium, the market is uncertain.

Rahall eyes oil and gas addition to climate bill but leadership uncertain.

In these uncertain times, it's good to know that you can still count on some things.

Tame elephants, on the other hand, live with a more uncertain fate.

But until now, toxicologists have been uncertain whether it causes cancer when swallowed.

Whatever plans they propose will be costly and it is uncertain who will be willing to pay for them.

But this primary is being held under new rules, so the outcome is uncertain.

Because of the delay, the results of this precisely tallied election are still uncertain.

But their long-term effects are uncertain and unknown, on both brain and body.

And yet it is uncertain whether a repeal of the law would do anything to calm separatist leaders and their followers.

Scientists are uncertain as to why the proteins do this.

With seemingly no chance of survival, he makes the decision to leap into the dangerous and uncertain unknown.

The trouble with mitigating climate change is that the benefits are uncertain and distant.

The field is moving, but currently, it's uncertain where it goes to.

Patients in the music group fared best, but mechanisms underlying the improvements remained uncertain.

In future, a growing number of people will have to manage on less generous and more uncertain occupational pensions.

It's uncertain why dogs are so much better at smelling than humans are.

And the panels do effect desert climate adversely, in uncertain ways.

The iPad gives a promising but uncertain opportunity for photographers to connect with new audiences, he says.

But the move's energy-saving potential is uncertain and is already being called into question.

Unfortunately, all solutions are equally environmentally uncertain when considered what might happen centuries into the future.

Post-construction, companies face uncertain revenue flows.

For example, scientists are uncertain why crystals take different shapes at.

All our theories are fixed upon uncertain data and all of them want alteration and support.

Translating benchmark performance figures to real-world results is an uncertain undertaking in any case.

Because transactions between businesses tend to be relatively infrequent, the seller may be uncertain about the right price.

Others are so little known that their conservation status is uncertain.

They added that they were likewise uncertain what end-product fuels would result from the collaboration.

Borders has not kept pace with the digital revolution, and its future is uncertain.

But in one canton some ballots are being recounted, so the overall outcome is still uncertain.

The researchers are uncertain as to why the loggerheads spend so much time gulping for air at the surface.

Man is by nature adaptive animal, so he is alive in this unpredictable and uncertain nature.

Being uncertain about what happens next is an interesting and addictive feeling.

As long as the world economy remains uncertain and investors fear inflation and sovereign default, gold will keep its allure.

As for the studies, they were small, and their methodology uncertain.

Our understanding of life expectancy of chimpanzees in the wild is still somewhat uncertain.

Army is currently using to separate pure water from uncertain water sources in.

In the uncertain business of simulating biological systems, that counts as success.

Whether other snakes tend toward family groups is uncertain.

Scientists are uncertain as to what attracts the leatherbacks to the hooks, which are used primarily to catch swordfish and tuna.

But the storm's devastation was so vast that exact numbers are still uncertain.

Fallen branches made uncertain footing, splitting explosively under a man's weight.

Learn why the future of these leaping silver beauties is so uncertain.

Scientists are uncertain whether the warming climate is to blame for the extinction at the end of the last ice age.

But as people continue their pursuit of valuable resources, the fate of this endangered primate remains uncertain.

In addition, the animal's water sources are drying up, though the cause is uncertain.

Some experts think she may have died while giving birth, but researchers are still uncertain.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

uncertain (ʌnˈsɜːt^ən)

—*adj* (when postpositive, often foll by of)
1.	not able to be accurately known or predicted: the issue is uncertain
2.	not sure or confident (about): a man of uncertain opinion
3.	not precisely determined, established, or decided: uncertain plans
4.	not to be depended upon; unreliable: an uncertain vote
5.	liable to variation; changeable: the weather is uncertain
6.	in no uncertain terms
	a. unambiguously
	b. forcefully

un'certainly

—*adv*

un'certainness

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

uncertain

c.1300, "of indeterminate time or occurrence," from un- (1) "not" + certain (adj.). Meaning "not fully confident" is recorded from late 14c. (implied in uncertainty).

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

uncertain

see in no uncertain terms.

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