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.
She accused the IOC of "clearly not reflecting sufficiently on its own history" and said "the choice of image is problematic and unsuitable for a T-shirt", without context.
From BBC
Still, he finds it problematic that the authorities are "actively" promoting Max so aggressively.
From Barron's
Yet, somehow, this problematic statistic and all that it symbolizes doesn’t even register.
From Salon
“I think it’s important to differentiate between clinical addiction and problematic use,” Mosseri said Wednesday.
From Los Angeles Times
"I think it's important to differentiate between clinical addiction and problematic use," Mosseri said as he was grilled by plaintiff attorney Mark Lanier.
From Barron's
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.
