1
Core quality
Impossible or difficult to forecast because behaviour or outcomes vary unexpectedly.
Example
Mountain weather is notoriously unpredictable.
unpredictable
/ˌʌnprɪˈdɪktəbəl/ · un-prih-DIK-tuh-buladjective
Impossible or difficult to forecast because behaviour or outcomes vary unexpectedly.
Use unpredictable to express this relationship precisely: impossible or difficult to forecast because behaviour or outcomes vary unexpectedly.
What unpredictable Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
The material's response became unpredictable at high temperatures.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
Unpredictable funding disrupted long-term planning.
Use unpredictable Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
Mountain weather is notoriously unpredictable.
The material's response became unpredictable at high temperatures.
Unpredictable funding disrupted long-term planning.
Precision Matters
Unpredictable overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
unpredictable
vs.Means impossible or difficult to forecast because behaviour or outcomes vary unexpectedly.
systematic
Means done according to an organized, consistent, and methodical plan or procedure.
unpredictable
vs.Means impossible or difficult to forecast because behaviour or outcomes vary unexpectedly.
sequential
Means following or arranged in a particular order, with one step, event, or item after another.
unpredictable
vs.Means impossible or difficult to forecast because behaviour or outcomes vary unexpectedly.
persistent
Means continuing firmly or repeatedly over a long period despite difficulty, opposition, or attempts to stop it.
unpredictable
vs.Means impossible or difficult to forecast because behaviour or outcomes vary unexpectedly.
erratic
Means unpredictable, irregular, or inconsistent.
Test unpredictable in Context
The outcome cannot be forecast reliably.
1
Because the river changes course without a consistent pattern, its flooding is highly ___.