Ongewisse

Ongewisse is a Dutch adjective meaning uncertain, not definite, or unspecified. It is used to describe information, outcomes, or states that are not known or not determined. The word combines the negating prefix on- with gewisse, an older form of the word meaning certain, so the literal sense is “not certain.” In modern usage ongewisse is common in formal and written Dutch, including journalism, science, philosophy, and legal or policy texts.

Typical phrases include een ongewisse toekomst (an uncertain future), ongewisse feiten (unclear facts), and een ongewisse uitkomst (an indeterminate outcome). The term conveys a lack of definitive information rather than a subjective doubt, which is more the domain of the related adjective onzeker. Thus ongewisse often appears where a situation or data point has not yet been resolved or disclosed.

Semantically, ongewisse overlaps with but is distinct from onzeker. Onzeker emphasizes personal or subjective doubt, whereas ongewisse stresses objective indefiniteness or absence of determination. In practice, the choice between them depends on nuance and register; ongewisse tends to appear in formal or technical contexts, while onzeker is more common in everyday speech.

Related terms include zeker (certain), zekerheid (certainty), and gewis/gewisheid (the state of being certain). The noun form of the concept is ongewijsheid in older or more literary contexts, though today onzekerheid is the prevalent noun for uncertainty.