difficulty

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The state of being hard to do or understand.

   My grandmother has a lot of difficulty remembering names.

2. 2
   noun

   A problem or obstacle that makes something hard to achieve.

   We faced a difficulty trying to book a flight so late.

From Middle English difficulte, from Middle French and Anglo-Norman difficulte and their etymon Latin difficultas, from difficul, older form of difficilis (“hard to do, difficult”), from dis- + facilis (“easy”); see difficile and difficult. Equivalent to dis- + facile + -ty. Also analysable as difficult + -y, though the adjective is historically a backformation from the noun.

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