uncertain

«uncertain» in Mova's school dictionary: not sure about something — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

adjective

meaning for a pupil

1) Uncertain means not sure about something. tree →

2) Uncertain means not known or not decided yet. tree →

3) Uncertain weather is weather that may change suddenly. tree →

sense in the lessons

In stories, an uncertain character hesitates. In science, results can be uncertain when measurements are not exact. In maths, probability describes uncertain events (likely, unlikely). In everyday life: «The trip is uncertain because of the weather». Phrases: «uncertain about/of», «in no uncertain terms» (very clearly and firmly).

examples

• I'm uncertain about which answer is right. tree →
• The weather is uncertain, so bring a coat. tree →
• The future of the old cinema is uncertain. tree →
• She gave an uncertain smile. tree →
• Whether it will rain tomorrow is uncertain. tree →
• The teacher told us in no uncertain terms to stop talking. tree →
• The number of guests is still uncertain. tree →
• Where the name came from, and what it means is very uncertain. tree →

note

Opposite: certain, sure. Noun: uncertainty. Adverb: uncertainly. In probability, an uncertain event has a chance between 0 (impossible) and 1 (certain).

In the corpora

• Many parents wait about three months before telling people, because the early weeks are the most uncertain.
• "It's complicated" means a relationship is messy or uncertain.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «uncertain» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.