problem
/ˈpɹɑbləm/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.40 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A difficulty that has to be resolved or dealt with.
noun
A difficulty that has to be resolved or dealt with.
noun
A question to be answered, schoolwork exercise.
noun
noun
noun
Difficulty in accepting or understanding or refusal to accept or understand.
Example Sentences
- "She's leaving because she faced numerous problems to do with racism."
- "“[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”"
- "Kate's very good with problems, Chief Inspector. Other people's, anyway."
- "The perfume industry is facing a major problem: maintaining constant levels of quality is crucial, but it is increasingly difficult to obtain a regular supply of all the necessary natural ingredients."
- "I think he has a gambling problem. Lending him money will probably only make it worse."
- "I think he has a nose candy problem. Lending him money will probably only make it worse."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *próder. Ancient Greek πρό (pró) Ancient Greek προ- (pro-) Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-der. Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō Ancient Greek βάλλω (bállō) Ancient Greek προβάλλω (probállō) Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Hellenic *-mə Ancient Greek -μᾰ (-mă) Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma)bor. Latin problēmabor. Middle French problemebor. Middle English probleme English problem From Middle English probleme, from Middle French probleme, from Latin problēma, from Ancient Greek πρόβλημα (próblēma, “anything thrown forward, hindrance, obstacle, anything projecting, a headland, promontory”), from προβάλλω (probállō, “to throw or lay something in front of someone, to put forward”), from προ- (pro-, “in front of”) + βάλλω (bállō, “to throw, to cast, to hurl”). Doublet of problema.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈpɹɑbləm/
- British English: /ˈpɹɒbləm/
Usage
Inflected Forms
problems (plural)
probleme (alternative, obsolete)
pro'lem (alternative, pronunciation spelling)
more problem (comparative)
most problem (superlative)
problems (present, singular)
probleming (participle, present)
problemed (participle, past)
problemed (past)
Derived Forms
Phrases
ABA problem
agency problem
alcohol problem
algorithmic problem
Alhazen's problem
alignment problem
Apollonian problem
Apollonius's problem