Predicates in natural language exhibit context-sensitivity and vagueness that resists assignment of any determinate function from objects to truth-values, as argued by epistemicists and contextualists like Timothy Williamson and Charles Travis.

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Charles Travis(as a key figure in debates about vagueness and contextualism): A contemporary philosopher who argues that word meanings are highly flexible and context-dependent rather than fixed.
Context-sensitivity(the statement contrasts context-shifting with invariant conditions): The idea that the meaning or truth of a statement can change depending on the situation or environment it's used in.
Contextualists(legal philosophy and interpretation): People who believe that the meaning of a law or document depends on the surrounding circumstances, the author's intentions, and the situation it was created in, not just the words alone.
Determinate function(in logic and mathematics): A precise, rule-based way of matching inputs to outputs with no ambiguity—like a math formula that always gives you one clear answer.

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Epistemicists(in philosophy of language)

Philosophers who argue that vague words like 'bald' actually have precise, hidden meanings, but we just don't know them perfectly.

Natural language(as used in logic and linguistics)

Language as people actually speak and write it (like English or French), rather than artificial systems created for specific purposes.

Predicates(in logic and philosophy of language)

Words or phrases that describe properties or characteristics of something—like 'is red' or 'is tall' in the sentence 'The ball is red.'

Timothy Williamson(The other philosopher co-authoring the argument in this statement)

A prominent British philosopher known for work on knowledge, logic, and philosophy of language.

Truth-values(logic and semantics)

Whether a statement is true or false—the two possible truth-values are 'true' and 'false.'

vagueness(Example: 'materially adverse change' in In re Carter's Claim (1957))

Imprecision in terms whose application admits of borderline cases.

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