SINCE 1828
word problem
nounDefinition of word problem
: a mathematical problem expressed entirely in words typically used as an educational tool
Examples of word problem in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The math section is made up of multiple-choice word problems, as well as computational questions. — Tyler Blint-welsh, New York Times, "What Is the SHSAT Exam? And Why Does It Matter?," 21 June 2018 Gone are the days of apples and oranges — the word problems on a recent middle school math test used cocaine, ammunition and tricks for arithmetic practice. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "Middle School Students Receive Quiz About Prostitution, Drugs and Gangs," 2 June 2016 The Roxana School District, on the other hand, called the word problems examples of poor judgment. — Anne Branigin, The Root, "Parents Big Mad Over High School Math Teacher’s Drug-Referencing Homework," 6 Feb. 2018 Sanders also added in a three-minute-long word problem and her best Mariah Carey impersonation. — Anne Branigin, The Root, "The Lowlights From the White House’s ‘How to Get Away With Conspiracy Against the US’ Playbook," 30 Oct. 2017 The research involved controlled experiments such as pairing a fun activity (playing a game) with a work task (completing math and word problems). — Demetria Gallegos, WSJ, "Work Before Fun? That Might Not Always Be Best," 22 Oct. 2017 Could the Babylonians who lived in what is now Iraq more than 3,700 years ago solve a word problem like this? — Kenneth Chang, New York Times, "Hints of Trigonometry on a 3,700-Year-Old Babylonian Tablet," 29 Aug. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'word problem.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on word problem
What made you want to look up word problem? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
What did you just call me?! A Quiz
-
- If a member of the audience describes your speech as bombastic, does that person mean it is:
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share word problem
Resources for word problem