Word family noun certainty ≠ uncertainty adjective certain ≠ uncertain adverb certainly ≠ uncertainly
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishuncertainun‧cer‧tain /ʌnˈsɜːtn $ -ɜːr-/ ●●○ adjective 1 [not before noun]NOT SURE feeling doubt about something SYN unsureuncertain whether/how/what etc He was uncertain how much further he could walk.uncertain about/of I was uncertain about what to do next.2 UNCERTAINnot clear, definite, or decided SYN unclearit is uncertain whether/how/what etc It is uncertain how likely this is to occur. My whole future now seemed uncertain.3 → in no uncertain terms4 if someone walks in an uncertain way, they seem as though they might fall SYN unsteady She took a few uncertain steps forward. —uncertainly adverbExamples from the Corpus
uncertain• A spokesman said the governor's travel plans were still uncertain.• Even where links were still in place, their future remained uncertain.• More typical is the partial cure where the doctors could say that the treatment was worthwhile but the future uncertain.• The long-term benefits of the treatment are extremely uncertain.• The situation on the island is still very uncertain and the army is on full alert.• If you hesitate the secretary will sense that you are uncertain and wonder whether to put you through or not.• The company faces a highly uncertain future.• They were worried about their son's uncertain future.• Indeed, we shall stress the importance of work organization in change agendas geared towards securing competitive advantage in uncertain market environments.• Doctors are uncertain of what self-government would mean in detail.• She took a few uncertain steps forward.• She would write, when she was away from here, tell him in no uncertain terms exactly what she thought of him.• The economic outlook is so uncertain that I would think carefully before investing any money.• Even now, city staff appears uncertain what can be built on the property.uncertain whether/how/what etc• She felt resolved in spirit but uncertain how best to proceed.• Ford is uncertain whether he will get an offer or even accept one if it comes.• It was very uncertain whether Henry would be able to retain the crown he had seized.• Teacher contract negotiations have been on hold for months because school officials were uncertain how much money they had.• It is still uncertain how these possible burgi operated.• Having never dealt with a statistical neural network, we were uncertain how we could verify the integrity of the network.• It is uncertain whether words alone can amount to an assault.• Are you uncertain whether you have enough of the right kind of insurance?it is uncertain whether/how/what etc• He suffers from severe fits. It is uncertain whether he recognises his carers. 