unpredictable

Everyday

1. Unpredictable means impossible to know or say beforehand what will happen. tree →
2. An unpredictable person or animal behaves in ways you cannot guess, sometimes calm and sometimes not. tree →

In the lessons

In science and geography: unpredictable weather, earthquakes and volcanoes. In maths and probability: a dice roll is unpredictable, but over many rolls we can predict patterns. In safety: unknown dogs and wild animals can be unpredictable, so ask before stroking. In stories, an unpredictable character keeps readers guessing.

Examples

• British weather is unpredictable, so take a coat. tree →
• A dice roll is unpredictable. tree →
• Wild animals can be unpredictable – don't feed them. tree →
• The ending of the book was unpredictable. tree →
• Earthquakes are hard to predict, so they seem unpredictable. tree →
• My little sister's moods are unpredictable. tree →
• The match was unpredictable until the last minute. tree →

Note

Opposite: «predictable». In maths, one roll of a fair dice is unpredictable, but each number has a chance of 1 in 6. Noun: «unpredictability».