Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

intractable

/ɪnˈtɹæk.tə.bəl/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.88 in modern English

Syllables: in-tractable
IPA: /ɪnˈtɹæk.tə.bəl/

15

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

4

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Not tractable; not able to be managed, controlled, governed or directed.

adj

Not able to be solved in polynomial time; too difficult to attempt to solve.

adj

Difficult to deal with, solve, or manage. (of a problem)

adj

Stubborn; obstinate. (of a person)

adj

Difficult to treat (of a medical condition).

Example Sentences

"And I cannot but expect that this will repeatedly lead to the discovery that an initially intractable problem can be factored after all."
"Work—bureaucratic work in particular—poses a series of intractable dilemmas that often demand compromises with traditional moral beliefs."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in-bor. Middle English in- English in- English tractable English intractable From in- + tractable.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ɪnˈtɹæk.tə.bəl/
British English: /ɪnˈtɹæk.tə.bəl/

Inflected Forms

more intractable (comparative) most intractable (superlative)

Derived Forms

intractability intractableness intractably

Rhymes With

retractable tractable

Questions

How do you pronounce intractable?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɪnˈtɹæk.tə.bəl/.
What does intractable mean?: Not tractable; not able to be managed, controlled, governed or directed.
Where does intractable come from?: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in-bor. Middle English in- English in- English tractable English intractable From in- + tractable.

How to pronounce intractable

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