problematic en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˌpɹɒb.ləˈmæt.ɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˌpɹɑ.bləˈmæt.ɪk/ (General-American)
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French problématique, from Late Latin problematicus, from Ancient Greek προβληματικός (problēmatikós), from πρόβλημα (próblēma, “outjutting, barrier, problem”), from προβάλλω (probállō, “I throw, place before”), from πρό (pró, “before”) + βάλλω (bállō, “I throw, place”). By surface analysis, problem + -atic.
Meanings
-
Posing a problem; having or suffering from problem(s): ▸ Difficult to overcome, solve, or decide.
However, estimating what consumers will pay in the future is problematic.
2010, The Future of Energy Use:The station is blessed with a cafe and staff accommodation, as it's an important crew changeover point, although this can be problematic when services are late.
2022 November 30, Paul Bigland, “Destination Oban: a Sunday in Scotland”, in RAIL, number 971, page 79:And the most problematic thing of all is that it is impossible for me even to know and tell you their names, unless one of them happens to be a playwright.
1993, Plato, translated by Hugh Tredennick and Harold Tarrant, “Justice and Duty (i): Socrates Speaks at his Trial: the Apology”, in The Last Days of Socrates (Penguin Classics), revised edition, London; New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, →ISBN, page 39:
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Posing a problem; having or suffering from problem(s): ▸ Not settled, uncertain, of uncertain outcome; debatable, questionable, open to doubt.
a problematic analysis
The strangeness of hiring undocumented Mexican women as domestics, many of whom were no older than fifteen, seemed strange to me. It was this strangeness that raised the topic of domestic service as a question and made problematic what had previously been taken for granted.
1992, Mary Romero, “Intersection of Biography and History: My Intellectual Journey”, in Maid in the U.S.A., Routledge, →ISBN, →LCCN, page 1:it portends a problematic future for the movement
- Posing a problem; having or suffering from problem(s): ▸ Contributing (especially if subtly) to discrimination (such as racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or ageism).
- (dated) Only affirming the possibility that a predicate be actualised.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most problematic | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more problematic | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
problematicity · problematically · unproblematic · multiproblematic · problematicness · metaproblematic · problematical · nonproblematic
Relateds
Synonyms
doubtful (open to debate) · questionable (open to debate) · dubious (open to debate) · uncertain (open to debate) · controversial (open to debate) · involved (posing a problem) · troublesome (posing a problem) · difficult (posing a problem) · complicated (posing a problem) · complex (posing a problem)
Translations (49)
de problematisch (posing a problem) · he בעייתי (posing a problem) · fi problemaattinen (contributing to systemic discrimination) · fi ongelmallinen (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · ca problemàtic (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · nl problematisch (posing a problem) · de fatal (contributing to systemic discrimination) · fi epävarma (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · lv problemātisks (posing a problem) · nrf problièmatique (posing a problem) · de heikel (contributing to systemic discrimination) · hu problematikus (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · ru проблемати́чный (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · de haarig (contributing to systemic discrimination) · de problembehaftet (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · fi problemaattinen (posing a problem) · hy խնդրահարույց (posing a problem) · bg съмнителен (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · fi problemaattinen (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · ca problemàtic (posing a problem) · hy խնդրահարույց (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · fi ongelmallinen (posing a problem) · de problematisch (unspecifically) (contributing to systemic discrimination) · fr problématique (posing a problem) · ka პრობლემატური (posing a problem) · el προβληματικός (posing a problem) · fr problématique (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · fi ongelmallinen (contributing to systemic discrimination) · bg проблематичен (posing a problem) · eo problema (posing a problem) · pl problematyczny (posing a problem) · it ambiguo (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · bg несигурен (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · ca incert (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · nl problematisch (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · it problematico (posing a problem) · ro problematic (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · mi whakararu (posing a problem) · da problematisk (posing a problem) · nl twijfelachtig (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · de problematisch (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · ru проблемати́чный (posing a problem) · ro problematic (posing a problem) · ca dubtós (uncertain, debatable, questionable) · hu problematikus (posing a problem) · hu bajos (posing a problem) · cs problematický (posing a problem) · fr problématique (contributing to systemic discrimination) · it questionabile (uncertain, debatable, questionable)