Added 10 October 2026
problematic
/ˌpɹɒb.ləˈmæt.ɪk/ adjective
Latin root: problematicus Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about problematic at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
Origin
Borrowed from Middle French problématique, from Late Latin problematicus, from Ancient Greek προβληματικός (problēmatikós), from πρόβλημα (próblēma, “outjutting, barrier, problem”), from προβάλλω (probállō, “I throw, place before”), from πρό (pró, “before”) + βάλλω (bállō, “I throw, place”). By surface analysis, problem + -atic.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)