Uncertainty

How to spell uncertainty

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce uncertainty

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does uncertainty mean?

1. nounA state of being unsure, doubtful, or unable to predict what will happen.

Uncertainty in a sentence

• The long delay created a great deal of uncertainty about the project budget.

• Economic uncertainty made many families postpone buying a new home.

Where does uncertainty come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin certus, meaning 'sure', 'settled', or 'decided', which was itself the past participle of cernere, 'to sift', 'to separate', and so 'to decide'. The idea is striking: to be certain was originally to have sifted the matter out and reached a clear judgement. Through Old French the adjective came into Middle English as 'certain', and the negative 'uncertain' was formed in English with the native prefix un- meaning 'not'. The abstract noun 'uncertainty' was built by adding the suffix -ty, which turns an adjective into the name of a state or quality. The same cernere root survives in relatives such as 'discern', 'concern', and 'secret', all carrying that ancient sense of sorting things apart.

How the word is built

• un- (not)
• cert (from Latin certus: sure, settled)
• -ain (adjective ending via French)
• -ty (noun suffix)