indeterminateness
State of uncertainty
The quality of being vague, unclear, or not precisely fixed.
Indeterminateness describes situations where boundaries, outcomes, or meanings resist exact specification: The indeterminateness of the contract language led to disputes.
The word overlaps with indeterminacy, though indeterminacy appears more often in technical and philosophical contexts.
Failure to decide
- hesitationDelay from uncertainty
- vacillationInability to choose
- waveringShowing unsteady resolve
- irresoluteLacking firmness of purpose
undecided · tentative · noncommittal · dithering · faltering · ambivalence · equivocation · second-guessing
Unclear, ill-defined
- nebulousUnclear and formless
- fuzzySoft and unclear
- blurryIndistinct, lacking definition
- impreciseLacking exactness or accuracy
indefinite · unspecific · amorphous · murky · hazy · indistinct · undefined · cloudy
State resisting forecasts
- probabilityQuantified chance of occurrence
- chanceLikelihood of occurrence
- riskPossibility of harm
- contingencyUncertain possible event
randomness · variability · volatility · stochastic · unknown · unknowable · imprecision · speculation
Lacking fixed boundaries
- possibilitiesThings that may occur
- potentialLatent capacity for development
- unboundedHaving no limits
- unconstrainedHaving no restrictions
unrestricted · unfinalized · exploratory · provisional · tentative · flexible · malleable · unspecified
Continuous change or flow
- mutableAble to be changed
- proteanReadily changing form
- shiftingChanging position or form
- mercurialProne to sudden change
unfixed · transient · ephemeral · metamorphosis · transformation · malleable · adaptable · changeable
Having multiple interpretations
- equivocalUncertain in meaning
- polysemousHaving multiple meanings
- crypticObscure in meaning
- enigmaticPuzzling and obscure
obscure · arcane · inscrutable · opaque · conundrum · riddle · puzzle · multivalent
indecision
Failure to decide
- hesitationDelay from uncertainty
- vacillationInability to choose
- waveringShowing unsteady resolve
irresolute · undecided · tentative · noncommittal · dithering · faltering · ambivalence · equivocation · second-guessing · teetering
vague
Unclear, ill-defined
imprecise · indefinite · unspecific · amorphous · murky · hazy · indistinct · undefined · cloudy · muddled
unpredictability
State resisting forecasts
- probabilityQuantified chance of occurrence
- chanceLikelihood of occurrence
- riskPossibility of harm
contingency · randomness · variability · volatility · stochastic · unknown · unknowable · imprecision · speculation · conjecture
open-ended
Lacking fixed boundaries
- possibilitiesThings that may occur
- potentialLatent capacity for development
- unboundedHaving no limits
unconstrained · unrestricted · unfinalized · exploratory · provisional · tentative · flexible · malleable · unspecified · unresolved
flux
Continuous change or flow
mercurial · unfixed · transient · ephemeral · metamorphosis · transformation · malleable · adaptable · changeable · unstable
ambiguous
Having multiple interpretations
- equivocalUncertain in meaning
- polysemousHaving multiple meanings
- crypticObscure in meaning
enigmatic · obscure · arcane · inscrutable · opaque · conundrum · riddle · puzzle · multivalent · unclear
indeterminatenessdefiniteness
Quality of being exact
clarity · boundedness · distinctness · fixedness · determinacy
indeterminatenessprecision
Accuracy of measurement
exactness · exactitude · accuracy · particularity · explicitness
indeterminatenessdeterminacy
State of being settled
decidedness · certainty · resolution · conclusiveness · finality
determined, determine, terminal, determination, terminate, interminable, undetermined, indeterminate, determinate