Uncertainty is the state of not knowing what will happen or not being sure about something. It can cause worry, hesitation, or careful thinking.
From "uncertain" plus the noun suffix "-ty," with "certain" coming from Latin "certus" meaning sure or fixed. The word turns the idea of not being sure into a thing you can talk about.
Scientists and weather forecasters talk about "uncertainty" not as failure but as a built‑in part of reality—some things just can’t be predicted exactly. Once you see uncertainty as normal instead of scary, decisions feel a bit less paralyzing.
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