incertain

English

Alternative forms

• incertaine

Etymology

From Middle English incertayne, borrowed from Middle French incertain, derived in the 14th c. from certain, after Latin incertus (“uncertain”). By surface analysis, in- +‎ certain.

Adjective

incertain (comparative more incertain, superlative most incertain)

1. (obsolete) Not certain, uncertain.
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 71, column 2, lines 126–128:

     ...or to be worse then worst
     Of those, that lawlesse and incertaine thought,
     Imagine howling, 'tis too horrible.

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling:

     And again, that as these acquisitions are in themselves generally worthless, so are the means to attain them not only base and infamous, but at best incertain, and always full of danger.

Synonyms

• uncertain

See also

• incertitude

Anagrams

• carnitine, creatinin, natricine

French

Etymology

From in- +‎ certain.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.sɛʁ.tɛ̃/

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

• Homophone: incertains

Adjective

incertain (feminine incertaine, masculine plural incertains, feminine plural incertaines)

1. uncertain; unsure

Further reading

• “incertain”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• incinérât
• rinçaient