Uncertainty

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ʌnˈsɜːtənti/

Definitions

1. A state of doubt or lack of knowledge about what will happen or what is true
2. A situation characterized by unpredictability or ambiguity regarding outcomes or facts
3. The condition of being unsure or having unresolved questions about events or realities

Etymology: "Uncertainty" is built from familiar English parts: the prefix "un-", meaning "not," attached to "certainty," which itself comes from the Latin "certus," meaning "settled" or "determined." The word's older form, "uncerteynte," appeared in Middle English, and it developed from the adjective "uncertain" with the suffix "-ty," which turns a quality into a noun. Put together, the word literally describes the condition of not being settled or fixed in one's knowledge. Because "certain" once carried the sense of "fixed" or "decided," the negative form points to a mind or situation that has not yet been pinned down. The word therefore names the gap between what is known and what is still open, rather than simply expressing a feeling of worry.

Synonyms: doubt, indecision, ambiguity, confusion, hesitance

Antonyms: certainty, confidence, assurance, clarity, decisiveness