problematic

1 of 2

adjective

prob·​lem·​at·​ic ˌprä-blə-ˈma-tik How to pronounce problematic (audio)
variants or less commonly problematical
1
a
: posing a problem : difficult to solve or decide
a problematic situation
b
: not definite or settled : uncertain
Their future remains problematic.
c
: open to question or debate : questionable
It is problematic whether … terrorist attacks and conflicts … will generate the national coherence that twentieth-century wars did.Samuel P. Huntington
d
: having or showing attitudes (such as racial prejudice) or ideas (such as falsehoods) that are offensive, disturbing, or harmful
The page is monitored for trolling and members can report any problematic posts.Nicole Morley
"We are bombarded with so much problematic content, from misinformation to hate speech," [Maria D. Molina] said.Jonathan F. McVerry
[Philip] Nel said the decision to no longer publish titles that include racist caricatures showed just one way to address problematic material.Edward Helmore
2
logic : expressing or supporting a possibility
a problematic proposition
problematically adverb

problematic

2 of 2

noun

: something that is problematic : a problematic aspect or concern
Choose the Right Synonym for problematic

doubtful, dubious, problematic, questionable mean not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something.

doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty.

doubtful about whether I said the right thing

dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.

dubious about the practicality of the scheme

problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain.

whether the project will ever be finished is problematic

questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded.

a man of questionable honesty

Examples of problematic in a Sentence

Adjective Rules of grammar are more problematic for non-native speakers. the problematic situation of somehow having two dates for the same party
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
That many civilian deaths in a relatively short war would be problematic in any context. Thomas L. Friedman, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 Fords use the front driver’s side, but not right at the corner, which can be problematic. Brad Templeton, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Each of those two products contains exfoliating acids, which the dermatologists interviewed said are among the most problematic ingredients for young people, along with retinoids. Katie Mogg, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024 These include default screen time limits for teen users, the ability for parents to mute their child’s notifications and tweaks to the app’s algorithms to avoid repeatedly serving users videos on potentially problematic topics, such as dieting or sadness. Clare Duffy, CNN, 27 Feb. 2024 Many are living in makeshift tents, with United Nations humanitarian agencies saying that getting enough aid into Gaza and distributing it are problematic. D. Parvaz, NPR, 26 Feb. 2024 But the caveat with all this is that baseline strength and mobility can change a butt wink from possibly problematic to NBD, since higher abilities in those arenas can up the chances someone can tolerate a momentary lapse in proper form. Christa Sgobba, SELF, 22 Feb. 2024 The more problematic one child is, the more invisible the other child becomes. Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024 The stock market struggled in the higher-rate environment, making IPOs problematic across pretty much all industries, with only a few high-profile exceptions such as ARM Holdings and Birkenstock. David Bloom, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'problematic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1898, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of problematic was in 1609

Dictionary Entries Near problematic

Cite this Entry

“Problematic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/problematic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

problematic

adjective
prob·​lem·​at·​ic
ˌpräb-lə-ˈmat-ik
variants also problematical
-ˈmat-i-kəl
1
: difficult to solve or decide : puzzling
a problematic situation
2
: not settled : uncertain
their future is still problematic
3
: open to question
the evidence is problematic

More from Merriam-Webster on problematic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!