Unklar

Unklar is a German adjective meaning not clear or unclear. It is used to describe statements, information, or situations that lack clarity, precision, or certainty. In everyday language, media, law, and science, unklar signals ambiguity, insufficient evidence, or a need for further explanation. For example, a researcher might note that a result is unklar or a directive could be described as unklar.

The word derives from the negating prefix un- added to klar, the latter meaning clear. As a standard attributive adjective, unklar follows normal German inflection: nominative masculine unklarer, feminine unklare, neuter unklares; plural unklare. In predicative position it appears as "Es ist unklar." The noun form Unklarheit means ambiguity or lack of clarity.

Unklar conveys lack of clarity rather than outright falsehood; it often indicates provisional status or the need for additional information. It is commonly used when conclusions are tentative or when phrasing is imprecise. Related terms include klar (clear), deutlich (clear, explicit), eindeutig (unambiguous), and Unklarheit (ambiguity).

See also: Klarheit, Unklarheit, Klar, Unbestimmtheit.