# problematic

/ˌpɹɑbɫəˈmætɪk/ (US) · /pɹˌɒbəlmˈætɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/problematic
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. causing difficulty

adjective · CEFR B2

causing a problem or being difficult to deal with.

For teachers: constituting or presenting a problem or difficulty. Often used to describe logistical or practical complications.

- The lack of public transport in the area makes getting to work problematic.
- The project's timeline became increasingly problematic as several key suppliers failed to meet their delivery obligations during the peak season.

### 2. socially or morally wrong

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic

containing ideas that are unfair or offensive to certain groups of people.

For teachers: presenting social, moral, or ethical issues that require critical examination. Frequently used in academic and social justice contexts to identify bias.

- Many people find the jokes in that old movie to be problematic today.
- Scholars have argued that the author's portrayal of colonial history is deeply problematic due to its erasure of indigenous perspectives.

### 3. uncertain or doubtful

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

not certain to happen or not definitely true.

For teachers: open to doubt or debate; not settled or certain. In logic, it refers to a proposition that is possible but not necessarily true.

- Whether the new law will actually reduce crime remains problematic.
- The evidence provided by the witness was considered problematic by the defence, as it contradicted several established facts of the case.

### 4. a set of problems

noun · CEFR C2 · Academic · Formal

a group of related problems or questions in a specific area of study.

For teachers: a set of problems or a particular area of difficulty within a field of inquiry. Often used in sociology or philosophy to describe a framework of issues.

- The professor explained the social problematic of urban poverty.
- The research paper attempts to address the complex problematic of sustainable development in rapidly industrialising nations.

## Examples

- The new law is problematic for small business owners.
- Critics argued that the film's portrayal of historical events was deeply problematic and ignored the perspectives of local people.
- While the initial theory provided a useful framework, its reliance on outdated demographic data makes its current application highly problematic for modern researchers.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.