1.
uncertain; undetermined; indefinite
Not yet decided or established; remaining unknown or variable.
日程はまだ不確定だ。
The schedule is still undetermined.
不確定な要素が多くて計画が立てにくい。
There are too many uncertain factors to make a plan.
将来の収入が不確定なため、大きな買い物は控えている。
Because my future income is uncertain, I'm holding off on major purchases.
A Sino-Japanese compound (不 negative + 確定 definite/fixed) used in formal and semi-formal contexts. It describes situations, facts, or quantities that have not been settled or cannot be predicted.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 不確定要素 — uncertain factor/element
- 不確定性 — uncertainty (as a quality)
- 不確定原理 — uncertainty principle (physics)
- 不確定な情報 — unconfirmed information
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 不確か — uncertain, vague; more subjective and colloquial, often about personal impressions or memory
- 未定 — undecided; specifically means a decision has not yet been made, while 不確定 is broader and can mean inherently unknowable
- 曖昧 — ambiguous, vague; focuses on lack of clarity rather than lack of determination