Problematic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌpɹɒbləˈmætɪk/

Definitions

1. Marked by characteristics that create challenges and difficulties
2. Involving aspects that lead to complications or adverse effects
3. Presenting challenges that complicate situations or make solutions difficult to find

Etymology: The Greek root behind "problematic" is more physical than its modern sense suggests. Ancient Greek "próblēma" meant something thrown forward or put in the way, an outjutting obstacle, and only later came to mean a question set forward for solving. Its adjective, "problēmatikós," passed through Late Latin "problematicus" and Middle French "problématique" before reaching English, so the word carries a sense of something placed before you that blocks your path. The English word is built in a simpler way: "problem" with the adjectival ending "-atic," which turns a noun into a description of something that has the quality of that noun. A problematic situation is one full of problems in exactly that sense of obstacles to be got around. The word itself is a borrowing rather than a native English formation, so its Greek ancestry is older than its use in English.

Synonyms: challenging, troublesome, difficult, controversial, contentious

Antonyms: simple, easy, straightforward, uncomplicated, clear-cut