uncertainty.

A lack of confidence or definite knowledge about a fact, outcome, or judgment.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• measurement uncertainty
• uncertainty about outcomes

On the page

The conclusion acknowledges uncertainty about the direction of causation.

Usage notes

Primary category: analysis / argumentation / evidence. Forms: Countable or uncountable by context; countable singular uncertainty; plural uncertainties. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common.