Meaning & use
problematic
Last updated
Presenting a problem or difficulty; causing issues or concern.
See it in a sentence
The witness's inconsistent story made the case problematic for prosecutors.
Critics called the film's portrayal of the era problematic.
A note on using this word
In recent years, problematic has become a common way to flag something as ethically or socially concerning, beyond its older, more neutral sense of "difficult."
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
unproblematic
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