core issue

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   The most important or central problem or subject in a situation or discussion.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a core issue' or 'the core issue'. Often used with 'the' when both speaker and listener know which issue is meant.

   Patterns

   • the core issue
   • a core issue
   • the core issue of something
   • the core issue in something

   The core issue in the debate is how to pay for the new road.

   We spent hours arguing, but we never got to the core issue.

   For many students, the core issue is not money but time.

2. 2nouncountable

   A central point that must be solved before other problems can be dealt with.

   Grammar: Countable; often used in the plural 'core issues' when talking about several main problems.

   Patterns

   • address the core issue
   • deal with the core issue
   • identify the core issue

   The report says we must address the core issues before making any changes.

   If we don't deal with the core issue, the same problem will come back.

   The meeting helped us identify the core issue quickly.

Word forms

Common combinations

the core issue

The core issue is whether we can trust the data.

address the core issue

The new plan finally addresses the core issue.

get to the core issue

Let's stop arguing about details and get to the core issue.

a core issue for someone

Housing is a core issue for young families.

the core issue of something

The core issue of the conflict is land.

Synonyms and how they differ

main issue

Very similar, but 'main issue' is more common in everyday speech and slightly less formal.

central problem

Focuses on the problem itself; 'core issue' can also refer to a topic or question, not only a problem.

key issue

Emphasizes importance but does not necessarily suggest it is the deepest or most central point.

Opposites

Word family

core noun

The central or most important part of something.

issue noun

A subject or problem that people discuss or worry about.

Commonly confused: core issue or main issue?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “core issue”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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