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uninitialized

uninitialized

8.4
Not given a starting value in a computer program
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌnɪnɪʃəˈlaɪzd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : no inicializado
  • The software requires the database to be properly initialized; otherwise, it may attempt to read uninitialized data.

Examples

  • Okay, I took the drive out and put it in my SATA HDD docking station. It won't show up in my Windows Explorer, so I checked in my Device Manager. It is visible there; it reads that it is working properly and that it is uninitialized, so I can't access it to remove the files from it, nor can I see how much data is on there.

    Blog text (20)
  • Thus, when the red thread accesses x, it may still get the uninitialized value.

    Academic text (2012)
  • It is uncertain whether a reference to an uninitialized set should be considered a hit or a miss in the target system.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Limitations in trace collection capacity may result in a trace that, in a simulated directory, produces a comparatively large number of references to uninitialized congruence sets.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The disk is uninitialized, so I cannot access any of the files stored on it.

  • When debugging, I realized that the variable was left uninitialized, causing the application to crash.

Synonyms

undefined
vsuninitialized
  • Specialized
1 5.7

Not given a value in a computer program

is narrower, applying only when a value lacks its initial assignment

Surface Forms

uninitialized positive

Morphology

uninitialized = initialized (transparent) = un + initialize + ed

Formed by adding the negative prefix 'un-' to 'initialized' (clear negation of the base), so the meaning is directly derived though the term is technical.

Etymology

Uninitialized comes from the prefix un- meaning 'not' and initial meaning 'first' or 'start', and you can think of initialize as 'give a first value'. So an uninitialized variable or field is one that has not been given its first value, which is why using it can make a program crash or give unpredictable results.