Uncertainties

ʌnˈsɜːrtəntiz

nounmediumVery CommonGeneral

Definitions

1

The state of being uncertain; doubtfulness.

ʌnˈsɜːrtəntiz

nounneutralmedium
General

A state of doubt or lack of sureness about something.

There are many uncertainties about the future of the project.

💡 Simply: Uncertainties are like questions that don't have clear answers yet. Like, "Will it rain today?" or "Will my team win?" It's when you're not completely sure what will happen.

👶 For kids: When you're not sure what's going to happen, that's an uncertainty!

More Examples

2

The uncertainties surrounding his health made him anxious.

3

Financial markets reacted negatively to the political uncertainties.

How It's Used

Business

"Businesses often face uncertainties in the market."

Science

"Scientists strive to reduce uncertainties in experimental results."

Politics

"Political uncertainties can impact economic stability."

Idioms & expressions

Uncertainty principle

A fundamental concept in quantum mechanics stating that there's a limit to how accurately we can know certain pairs of properties of a particle (e.g., position and momentum).

"The Heisenberg uncertainty principle has revolutionized our understanding of physics."

Weather the uncertainties

To successfully cope with and endure uncertain or difficult situations.

"The company had to weather the uncertainties of the economic downturn."

From the adjective "uncertain" (late Middle English) + the suffix "-ty" (Old French and Latin), denoting a state or condition.

The word 'uncertainties' has been used since the late 16th century to express the state of not being certain. Early usages often related to matters of fate or fortune.

Memory tip

Think of a shaky hand trying to draw a straight line – that's uncertainty.

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Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written