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incertitude

uncertainty

noun an-sair-tee-TYUD Rare

Usage Note

Incertitude is the abstract noun from incertain (uncertain), and it often appears in political or economic discourse (l'incertitude économique). In scientific French, principe d'incertitude refers to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. The opposite is certitude.

Examples

"L'incertitude plane sur le projet."

Natural Translation

Uncertainty hangs over the project.

Literal Translation

Uncertainty hovers over the project.

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