Words / B2

un-SURTNT-ee/ʌnˈsɜːtnti/

Uncertainty is not knowing what will happen (often uncountable): policy uncertainty; a period of uncertainty; uncertainty about. Uncertain is the adjective. Doubt can be more personal; risk is more about measured chance. Do not write “an uncertainty” for every unknown — an area of uncertainty is neater. Economics: uncertainty delays investment.

Meaning

The state of not knowing what will happen (uncountable in many uses).

Examples

• “Policy uncertainty delayed hiring in the public sector.”
• “There is still uncertainty about the sample size, which is why they reran the test.”

Good to know

Uncountable: uncertainty; uncertainty about / over. Adjective: uncertain. Personal: doubt. Measured: risk. Pattern: a period / area of uncertainty.

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