problematic
Americanadjective
-
of the nature of a problem; doubtful; uncertain; questionable.
We've discussed the problematic benefits of the treatment.
- Synonyms:
- ambiguous, dubious, unsettled, indeterminate, unsure
-
involving or presenting a problem that is difficult to deal with or solve.
She faces a problematic decision.
-
tending or likely to elicit objections or disapproval; offensive: We've all had to deal with problematic relatives during the holidays.
My ex-boyfriend's political opinions were often embarrassingly problematic.
We've all had to deal with problematic relatives during the holidays.
adjective
-
having the nature or appearance of a problem; questionable
-
obsolete logic (of a proposition) asserting that a property may or may not hold Compare apodeictic assertoric
Other Word Forms
- nonproblematic adjective
- nonproblematical adjective
- nonproblematically adverb
- problematically adverb
- quasi-problematic adjective
- unproblematic adjective
- unproblematical adjective
- unproblematically adverb
Etymology
Origin of problematic
First recorded in 1600–10; from Late Latin problēmaticus, from Greek problēmatikós, equivalent to problēmat- (stem of próblēma ) problem + -ikos -ic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"However, our modern food environment is too problematic. Instead, people may do best with a more repetitive diet that helps them consistently make healthier choices, even if they might sacrifice some nutritional variety."
From Science Daily
A 0% target leaves little room for error since even a minor shock could result in deflation, or falling prices—which is arguably more problematic than inflation.
From Barron's
Ms. Zenovich has turned her lens on a number of problematic characters over the years, including Lance Armstrong, Roman Polanski and Chevy Chase.
“Clearly, personal antagonism and poor choices render Beasley Allen’s continued leadership problematic,” the judge wrote.
Dangerously, it takes car smashes for the problematic side of the former world number one's life to be revealed.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
