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problem
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle English probleme, from Middle French probleme, from Latin problema, from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma, “anything thrown forward, hindrance, obstacle, anything projecting, a headland, promontory”), from προβάλλω (probállō, “to throw or lay something in front of someone, to put forward”), from προ- (pro-, “in front of”) + βάλλω (bállō, “to throw, to cast, to hurl”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈpɹɒbləm/, (Received Pronunciation, dated) /-ɪm/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈpɹɑbləm/
- Hyphenation: prob‧lem
Noun
problem (plural problems)
- A difficulty that has to be resolved or dealt with.
- Synonym: rub
- Hypernyms: challenge, issue, obstacle
- She's leaving because she faced numerous problems to do with racism.
- 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
- “ […] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”
- 2014 March 7, Nicole Vulser, “Perfume manufacturers must cope with the scarcity of precious supplies”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 190, number 13, page 30:
- The perfume industry is facing a major problem: maintaining constant levels of quality is crucial, but it is increasingly difficult to obtain a regular supply of all the necessary natural ingredients.
- An addiction, other substance use disorder, or comparable psychological challenge.
- Hyponyms: drinking problem, drug problem
- I think he has a gambling problem. Lending him money will probably only make it worse.
- I think he has a nose candy problem. Lending him money will probably only make it worse.
- A question to be answered, schoolwork exercise.
- Study hard, but don't overdo it. The problems in the exam won't be difficult to solve.
- A puzzling circumstance.
- Objection.
- You got a problem with that?
- Difficulty in accepting or understanding or refusal to accept or understand.
- You made your best honest effort; if they judge you harshly, that’s their problem, not yours.
- (climbing) A set of moves required to complete a climb.
Usage notes
Colloquially, "problem" in sense 1 can be put after an objective personal pronoun to create a noun phrase meaning "that person's/those people's problem."
- 1994, Joel S. Weissman, Arnold M. Epstein, Falling Through the Safety Net: Insurance Status and Access to Health Care, page 30:
- Until Middle America understands lack of insurance and underinsurance as an "us" problem rather than a "them" problem, the motivation for change will be diminished.
Antonyms
Hyponyms
Derived terms
- ABA problem
- alcohol problem
- algorithmic problem
- Alhazen's problem
- alignment problem
- Apollonian problem
- a problem shared is a problem halved
- Archimedes' problem
- art gallery problem
- Basel problem
- behavior problem
- Behrens-Fisher problem
- binding problem
- birthday problem
- Bongard problem
- Brocard's problem
- Buffon's needle problem
- C10k problem
- C10K problem
- C10M problem
- Cadillac problem
- Canadian traveller problem
- candy store problem
- cannonball problem
- Cauchy problem
- champagne problem
- chicken-and-egg problem
- Chinese postman problem
- circle-ellipse problem
- combination problem
- constant problem
- core problem
- counterproblem
- crossed ladders problem
- decision problem
- dial-a-ride problem
- diamond problem
- distant starlight problem
- double empathy problem
- drinking problem
- drink problem
- drug problem
- Duhem-Quine problem
- eigenproblem
- extended problem-solving
- fairy problem
- fencepost problem
- Fermi problem
- file-drawer problem
- final parsec problem
- First World problem
- first world problem
- first-world problem
- fiscal problem
- four color problem
- frame problem
- free-rider problem
- Galton's problem
- Gettier problem
- goat grazing problem
- goat problem
- Gordan's problem
- grounding problem
- halting problem
- Heesch's problem
- horizon problem
- Houston, we have a problem
- illumination problem
- initial value problem
- initial-value problem
- is-ought problem
- is there a problem
- jealous husbands problem
- Josephus problem
- Kelvin problem
- kidnapped robot problem
- Kirkman's schoolgirl problem
- logic problem
- macroproblem
- majority problem
- many-body problem
- mathematical problem
- measurement problem
- metaproblem
- microproblem
- missionaries and cannibals problem
- Molyneux's problem
- Monty Hall problem
- Moser's worm problem
- move the problem
- moving sofa problem
- multiproblem
- museum problem
- n-body problem
- Newcomb's problem
- nonidentity problem
- nonproblem
- no problem
- one-banana problem
- open problem
- optimization problem
- Parsons problem
- presenting problem
- principal-agent problem
- private language problem
- problematic
- problematical
- problematize
- problem bear
- problem child
- problemed
- problemette
- problem gambling
- problem glasses
- problemise
- problemist
- problemize
- problem of evil
- problem page
- problem play
- problem-reaction-solution
- problem solve
- problem-solve
- problem-solver
- problemsolver
- problem solving
- problem-solving
- problemsome
- problem space
- problem statement
- Prouhet-Tarry-Escott problem
- pseudo-problem
- quantum measurement problem
- readers-writers problem
- scientific problem
- Scunthorpe problem
- secretary problem
- sleeping barber problem
- Sleeping Beauty problem
- snake-in-the-box problem
- sofa problem
- solution in search of a problem
- solution looking for a problem
- species problem
- stable marriage problem
- stable matching problem
- starlight problem
- sub-problem
- subproblem
- sunrise problem
- teething problem
- Thomson problem
- three body problem
- three-pipe problem
- thundering herd problem
- toy problem
- traveling-salesman problem
- traveling salesman problem
- travelling salesman problem
- travelling-salesman problem
- trolley problem
- Turán's brick factory problem
- two-body problem
- two child problem
- two children problem
- two envelopes problem
- Uber problem
- Waring's problem
- what is your problem
- what's your problem
- wheat and chessboard problem
- white bear problem
- wicked problem
- word problem
- XY problem
- year 2000 problem
- year 2038 problem
- you problem
- Zarankiewicz problem
Descendants
- → Welsh: problem
Translations
difficulty
|
schoolwork exercise
|
puzzling circumstance
|
Adjective
problem (comparative more problem, superlative most problem)
- (of a person or an animal) Difficult to train or guide; unruly.
- Causing a problem; problematic; troublesome.
See also
Further reading
- “problem”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “problem”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
- “problem”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
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Azerbaijani
Etymology
Internationalism; ultimately from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma).
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Noun
problem (definite accusative problemi, plural problemlər)
Declension
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Crimean Tatar
Etymology
Pronunciation
- Hyphenation: prob‧lem
Noun
problem
Declension
References
Danish
Noun
problem n (singular definite problemet, plural indefinite problemer)
Declension
Derived terms
- helseproblem
- hovedproblem
- problembarn
- rygproblem
- søvnproblem
- vægtproblem
References
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Indonesian
Etymology
From Dutch probleem, from Latin problēma, from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma).
Pronunciation
Noun
problem (plural problem-problem)
Related terms
Further reading
- “problem” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.
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Kashubian
Alternative forms
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
problem m inan
Derived terms
adjectives
- problemòwi
Further reading
- Jan Trepczyk (1994), “problem”, in Słownik polsko-kaszubski (in Kashubian), volumes 1–2
- Eùgeniusz Gòłąbk (2011), “problem”, in Słownik Polsko-Kaszubski / Słowôrz Pòlskò-Kaszëbsczi
- “problem”, in Internetowi Słowôrz Kaszëbsczégò Jãzëka [Internet Dictionary of the Kashubian Language], Fundacja Kaszuby, 2022
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Middle English
Noun
problem
- alternative form of probleme
Norwegian Bokmål
Noun
problem n (definite singular problemet, indefinite plural problem or problemer, definite plural problema or problemene)
Derived terms
References
- “problem” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Pronunciation
Noun
problem n (definite singular problemet, indefinite plural problem, definite plural problema)
Derived terms
References
- “problem” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Polish
Romanian
Serbo-Croatian
Swedish
Turkish
Vilamovian
Welsh
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