un·cer·tain·ty ( n-sûr tn-t )n. pl. un·cer·tain·ties 1. The condition of being uncertain; doubt. 2. Something uncertain: the uncertainties of modern life. 3. Statistics The estimated amount or percentage by which an observed or calculated value may differ from the true value. Synonyms: uncertainty, doubt, dubiety, skepticism, suspicion, mistrust These nouns refer to the condition of being unsure about someone or something. Uncertainty, the least forceful, merely denotes a lack of assurance or conviction: I regarded my decision with growing uncertainty. Doubt and dubiety imply a questioning state of mind: "Doubt is part of all religion" (Isaac Bashevis Singer). On this point there can be no dubiety. Skepticism generally suggests an instinctive or habitual tendency to question and demand proof: "A wise skepticism is the first attribute of a good critic" (James Russell Lowell). Suspicion is doubt as to the innocence, truth, integrity, honesty, or soundness of someone or something: His furtiveness aroused my suspicions. Mistrust denotes lack of trust or confidence, as in a person's motives, arising from suspicion: The staff viewed the consultant's hasty recommendations with mistrust. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | uncertainty - being unsettled or in doubt or dependent on chance; "the uncertainty of the outcome"; "the precariousness of his income"quality - an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone; "the quality of mercy is not strained"--Shakespeare doubt, doubtfulness, dubiousness, question - uncertainty about the truth or factuality or existence of something; "the dubiousness of his claim"; "there is no question about the validity of the enterprise" improbability, improbableness - the quality of being improbable; "impossibility should never be confused with improbability"; "the improbability of such rare coincidences" fortuitousness - the quality of happening accidentally and by lucky chance speculativeness - the quality of being a conclusion or opinion based on supposition and conjecture rather than on fact or investigation; "her work is highly contentious because of its speculativeness and lack of supporting evidence" | | 2. | uncertainty - the state of being unsure of somethingindecision, indecisiveness, irresolution - doubt concerning two or more possible alternatives or courses of action; "his indecision was only momentary but the opportunity was lost" peradventure - doubt or uncertainty as to whether something is the case; "this proves beyond peradventure that he is innocent" suspense - an uncertain cognitive state; "the matter remained in suspense for several years" certainty - the state of being certain; "his certainty reassured the others" |
uncertainty
Translations uncertainty [ʌnˈsəːtntɪ] uncertain n → incertitude f, doutes mpl
How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|