problematic

[ prob-luh-mat-ik ]
/ ˌprɒb ləˈmæt ɪk /

adjective

of the nature of a problem; doubtful; uncertain; questionable.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Often prob·lem·at·i·cal.

Origin of problematic

1600–10; < Late Latin problēmaticus < Greek problēmatikós, equivalent to problēmat- (stem of próblēma) problem + -ikos -ic

SYNONYMS FOR problematic

unsure, indeterminate, unsettled, dubious, ambiguous.

OTHER WORDS FROM problematic

Words nearby problematic

probit, probity, problem, problem page, problem-oriented record, problematic, problematics, proboscidate, proboscidean, proboscis, proboscis monkey
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for non-problematic

problematic

problematical

/ (ˌprɒbləˈmætɪk) /

adjective

having the nature or appearance of a problem; questionable
logic obsolete (of a proposition) asserting that a property may or may not holdCompare apodeictic (def. 2), assertoric

Derived forms of problematic

problematically, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012