problematic
problematic Lexical Profile
problematic Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Constituting or presenting a problem or difficulty; hard to deal with or resolve.
"Securing adequate funding for the infrastructure project proved more problematic than the city council had anticipated."
Regarded as socially, culturally, or morally unacceptable, offensive, or harmful.
"The historian noted that several of the author's early essays contain problematic attitudes toward colonial rule."
Open to doubt or debate; uncertain or questionable as to outcome or truth.
"Whether the new fiscal policy will actually curb inflation remains highly problematic."
• noun
A thing, situation, or interrelated set of issues that constitutes a problem or an area of theoretical inquiry (especially in philosophy and social theory).
"Her doctoral dissertation examines the central problematic of modern constitutional democracy."
Word Nuance & Usage
In contemporary social and cultural discourse, 'problematic' is frequently used specifically to describe behavior, media, or language perceived as socially offensive, prejudiced, or morally questionable, beyond merely being difficult to solve.
• Rhymes for problematic
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 17th century from Middle French problématique, via Late Latin problematicus, from Ancient Greek problēmatikos ('pertaining to a problem'), derived from problēma ('something thrown forward, an obstacle or question').