issue
n. countablen. A problem or important topic that people are talking or thinking about. You can use it for anything from a personal problem to a big political question.
n. An important topic or problem for debate or discussion. It can also refer to a personal problem or worry.
Money is a big issue for many students.
The main issue on the meeting's agenda is the new budget proposal.
While the technical issue was solved quickly, the underlying ethical issue of data privacy sparked a much longer and more contentious debate among the board members.
From Middle English issue, from Old French issue (“an exit, a way out”), feminine past participle of issir (“to exit”), from Latin exeō (“go out, exit”), from prefix ex- (“out”) + eō (“go”). The legal meaning originated from the concept of "the end or result of pleadings in a suit (by presenting the point to be determined by trial)," leading to the sense of "the controversy over facts in a trial" (early 14th century, Anglo-French). This later extended to mean "a point of contention between two parties" (early 15th century) and more generally, "an important point to be decided" (1836). Consequently, the verbal phrase take issue with emerged in 1797 (preceded by join issue in the 1690s), meaning "to adopt an affirmative or negative stance in a dispute with another." The expression to have issues, meaning "to have unresolved conflicts," dates back to 1990.
Often followed by a prepositional phrase, typically using 'with' to denote a problem ('an issue with the engine') or 'of' to specify a topic ('the issue of fairness').
Where is the issue?Where is the exit?A common false friend for speakers of Romance languages (e.g., French 'issue' = 'exit'). In English, 'issue' means a problem or topic, not a way out.