in no uncertain terms
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
She was about to say so, in no uncertain terms, but stopped herself at the last moment.
Scott denounced the lady candidate in no uncertain terms, and the ensuing battle, which would have delighted the subject of Scott's most famous portrayal, General Patton, ended only with the timely arrival of the police.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review.
Common questions
What does “in no uncertain terms” mean?
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Is “in no uncertain terms” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.