What does 'it's up in the air' mean?

What it means: Uncertain, undecided, or unresolved. If a plan is "up in the air," nothing has been confirmed yet - it could go any direction. The image is of something floating, not grounded or settled.

• "The meeting is still up in the air - we haven't confirmed the time."
• "My travel plans are up in the air right now."
• "The future of the project is up in the air since the budget review."

What it implies: Usually that a decision is coming but hasn't been made yet. It's not the same as cancelled - it means pending.

• "It's still uncertain" - neutral and clear
• "We haven't decided yet" - direct
• "It's still to be confirmed" - formal, often abbreviated as "TBC"
• "It's pending" - professional settings
• "It's in the air" - shorter version, same meaning

Register: Casual to professional. Common in everyday conversation and business settings when things are unresolved.

Tags: idiom, uncertainty, planning, everyday English