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n. pl. un·cer·tain·ties 1. The condition of being uncertain; doubt. 2. Something uncertain: the uncertainties of modern life. 3. Statistics The estimated amount or percentage by which an estimated or calculated value may differ from the true value. Synonyms: uncertainty, doubt, dubiety, skepticism These nouns refer to the condition of being unsure about someone or something. Uncertainty, the least forceful, merely denotes a lack of assurance or conviction: I regarded my decision with growing uncertainty. Doubt and dubiety imply a questioning state of mind: "Doubt is part of all religion" (Isaac Bashevis Singer). "He is ... earnest, his earnestness seasoned with the proper amount of dubiety and humor" (Joseph Epstein). Skepticism generally suggests an instinctive or habitual tendency to question and demand proof: "A wise skepticism is the first attribute of a good critic" (James Russell Lowell). |
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