Indeterminacy: meaning, example and synonyms
Indeterminacyn. The state of being uncertain, vague, or not fixed in outcome or meaning.
Example
The poem's indeterminacy is deliberate: its final line can be read as either a farewell or a promise, and the poet offers no clue which reading to prefer.
- Part of speech
- noun
- Synonyms
- uncertainty, vagueness, ambiguity, imprecision
- Antonyms
- certainty, definiteness, precision, clarity
- Memory tip
- in (not) + determined: an outcome nobody can determine yet.
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Check yourself: Indeterminacy in context
In quantum mechanics, the ______ of a particle's position means that, until it is measured, physicists can describe only the probability of finding it in a given place.
Answer: indeterminacy. A position known only as a probability until measured is not fixed, i.e. uncertain. fecundity (fertility), retrenchment (cost-cutting) and hallmark (distinctive feature) don't fit.
The contract's ______ invited dispute: it never specified when payment was due, and each party read its vague clauses to its own advantage.
Answer: indeterminacy. Unspecified dates and vague clauses make the contract's meaning uncertain. fecundity (fertility), expediency (convenience over principle) and hallmark (distinctive feature) don't fit.