adj
Meaning 1
Not certain; unsure.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
uncertain
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ʌnˈsɜːtən/
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General-American: /ʌnˈsɜɹ.tən/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)tən
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CMU ARPABET: AH0 N S ER1 T AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Not known for certain; questionable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- Tomorrow's weather is uncertain.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Not yet determined; undecided.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 4
Variable and subject to change.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 5
Fitful or unsteady.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 6
Unpredictable or capricious.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
Something uncertain.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: plural, plural-only, with-definite-article
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
Meaning 8
not established beyond doubt; still undecided or unknown
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- an uncertain future
- a manuscript of uncertain origin
- plans are still uncertain
- changes of great if uncertain consequences
- without further evidence his story must remain uncertain
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: certain(p)
adjective
Meaning 9
lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- uncertain of his convictions
- unsure of himself and his future
- moving with uncertain (or unsure) steps
- an uncertain smile
- touched the ornaments with uncertain fingers
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unsure, incertain
Antonyms: certain(p)
adjective
Meaning 10
not certain to occur; not inevitable
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- everything is uncertain about the army
- the issue is uncertain
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: certain
adjective
Meaning 11
not established or confirmed
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- his doom is as yet unsealed
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unsealed
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 12
ambiguous (especially in the negative)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- she spoke in no uncertain terms
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 13
not consistent or dependable
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- an uncertain recollection of events
- a gun with a rather uncertain trigger
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 14
subject to change
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a changeable climate
- the weather is uncertain
- unsettled weather with rain and hail and sunshine coming one right after the other
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: changeable, unsettled
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English uncerteyn. By surface analysis, un- + certain.
Across languages
Translations
111 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: неопределен (neopredelen) — not known for certain; questionable
- Catalan: incert — not known for certain; questionable
- Czech: nejistý — not known for certain; questionable
- Esperanto: necerta — not known for certain; questionable
- Finnish: epävarma — not known for certain; questionable
- Finnish: kyseenalainen — not known for certain; questionable
- French: incertain — not known for certain; questionable
- Galician: incerto — not known for certain; questionable
- German: ungewiss — not known for certain; questionable
- German: unsicher — not known for certain; questionable
- Greek: αβέβαιος (avévaios) — not known for certain; questionable
- Ancient Greek: ἀβέβαιος (abébaios) — not known for certain; questionable
- Hindi: अनिश्चित (aniścit) — not known for certain; questionable
- Hungarian: bizonytalan — not known for certain; questionable
- Khmer: មិនប្រាកដប្រជា (min brakadabracha) — not known for certain; questionable
- Latin: incertus — not known for certain; questionable
- Latin: ambiguus — not known for certain; questionable
- Macedonian: неизвесен (neizvesen) — not known for certain; questionable
- Māori: harapuka — not known for certain; questionable
- Māori: taupetupetu — not known for certain; questionable
- Māori: pōhauhau — not known for certain; questionable
- Māori: matawaenga — not known for certain; questionable
- Māori: hokirua — not known for certain; questionable
- Māori: maunawenawe — not known for certain; questionable
- Plautdietsch: onbestemt — not known for certain; questionable
- Polish: niepewny — not known for certain; questionable
- Polish: nieokreślony — not known for certain; questionable
- Portuguese: incerto — not known for certain; questionable
- Romanian: nesigur — not known for certain; questionable
- Romanian: incert — not known for certain; questionable
- Russian: неопределённый (neopredeljónnyj) — not known for certain; questionable
- Russian: нея́сный (nejásnyj) — not known for certain; questionable
- Russian: неуве́ренный (neuvérennyj) — not known for certain; questionable
- Scottish Gaelic: mì-chinnteach — not known for certain; questionable
- Spanish: incierto — not known for certain; questionable
- Spanish: poco certero — not known for certain; questionable
- Swedish: osäker — not known for certain; questionable
- Swedish: tvivelaktig — not known for certain; questionable
- Thai: ไม่แน่นอน (mâi-nɛ̂ɛ-nɔɔn) — not known for certain; questionable
- Thai: คลุมเคลือ (klum-krʉʉa) — not known for certain; questionable
- Turkish: şüpheli — not known for certain; questionable
- Ottoman Turkish: شبههلو (şübheli) — not known for certain; questionable
- Welsh: ansicr — not known for certain; questionable
- Bulgarian: несигурен (nesiguren) — not yet determined; undecided
- Catalan: incert — not yet determined; undecided
- Esperanto: necerta — not yet determined; undecided
- Finnish: epävarma — not yet determined; undecided
- French: incertain — not yet determined; undecided
- Galician: incerto — not yet determined; undecided
- Georgian: გაურკვეველი (gaurḳveveli) — not yet determined; undecided
- German: unbestimmt — not yet determined; undecided
- Hindi: अनिश्चित (aniścit) — not yet determined; undecided
- Hungarian: bizonytalan — not yet determined; undecided
- Irish: éiginnte — not yet determined; undecided
- Māori: ngākaurua — not yet determined; undecided
- Māori: maunawenawe — not yet determined; undecided
- Māori: kūraruraru — not yet determined; undecided
- Polish: niepewny — not yet determined; undecided
- Polish: niezdecydowany — not yet determined; undecided
- Portuguese: incerto — not yet determined; undecided
- Portuguese: indeterminado — not yet determined; undecided
- Romanian: nedecis — not yet determined; undecided
- Romanian: indecis — not yet determined; undecided
- Russian: неопределённый (neopredeljónnyj) — not yet determined; undecided
- Scottish Gaelic: mì-chinnteach — not yet determined; undecided
- Spanish: incierto — not yet determined; undecided
- Thai: ลังเล (lang-lee) — not yet determined; undecided
- Turkish: belirsiz — not yet determined; undecided
- Uzbek: noaniq — not yet determined; undecided
- Bulgarian: неустановен (neustanoven) — variable and subject to change
- Catalan: incert — variable and subject to change
- Finnish: epävarma — variable and subject to change
- French: incertain — variable and subject to change
- Galician: incerto — variable and subject to change
- German: unbeständig — variable and subject to change
- German: unsicher — variable and subject to change
- Hungarian: bizonytalan — variable and subject to change
- Māori: pāhekeheke — variable and subject to change
- Māori: ahurangi — variable and subject to change
- Māori: kumukumu — variable and subject to change
- Portuguese: incerto — variable and subject to change
- Romanian: instabil — variable and subject to change
- Romanian: inconstant — variable and subject to change
- Romanian: nestatornic — variable and subject to change
- Romanian: nestabil — variable and subject to change
- Scottish Gaelic: mì-chinnteach — variable and subject to change
- Spanish: incierto — variable and subject to change
- Bulgarian: нестабилен (nestabilen) — fitful or unsteady
- Finnish: epävarma — fitful or unsteady
- Finnish: epävakaa — fitful or unsteady
- German: unbeständig — fitful or unsteady
- Hungarian: bizonytalan — fitful or unsteady
- Romanian: instabil — fitful or unsteady
- Romanian: neregulat — fitful or unsteady
- Romanian: variabil — fitful or unsteady
- Russian: неусто́йчивый (neustójčivyj) — fitful or unsteady
- Russian: нестаби́льный (nestabílʹnyj) — fitful or unsteady
- Russian: изме́нчивый (izménčivyj) — fitful or unsteady
- Russian: непостоя́нный (nepostojánnyj) — fitful or unsteady
- Scottish Gaelic: mì-chinnteach — fitful or unsteady
- Thai: ไม่มั่นคง (mâi-mân-kong) — fitful or unsteady
- Bulgarian: неясен (nejasen) — unpredictable or capricious
- Bulgarian: несигурен (nesiguren) — unpredictable or capricious
- Finnish: arvaamaton — unpredictable or capricious
- Galician: incerto — unpredictable or capricious
- German: unbeständig — unpredictable or capricious
- Hindi: अनिश्चित (aniścit) — unpredictable or capricious
- Hungarian: bizonytalan — unpredictable or capricious
- Romanian: imprevizibil — unpredictable or capricious
- Russian: непредсказу́емый (nepredskazújemyj) — unpredictable or capricious
- Scottish Gaelic: mì-chinnteach — unpredictable or capricious
Real reading context