problematical

C2+ Topic:Mind & Cognition

US /ˌprɑbləˈmætɪkl/ UK /ˌprɒbləˈmætɪkl/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
presenting a difficulty or doubt; questionable

The evidence was too problematical to support a verdict.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · presenting a difficulty or... problematic questionable doubtful dubious uncertain troublesome contentious

Opposites

unproblematic straightforward certain

Word family

Derived forms problematicallyproblematicalness

Related forms problem problematicproblematize

Etymology

From problematic (from Late Latin problematicus, from Greek problematikos, from problema 'something thrown forward, a question', from proballein 'to throw forward') + the suffix -al.

problema Ancient Greek proballein Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Mind & Cognition Word Formation & Derivatives

# problematical

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˌprɑbləˈmætɪkl
**IPA (UK):** ˌprɒbləˈmætɪkl

## Meanings
1. presenting a difficulty or doubt; questionable

## Examples
- The evidence was too problematical to support a verdict.

## Synonyms
- problematic
- questionable
- doubtful
- dubious
- uncertain
- troublesome
- contentious

## Antonyms
- unproblematic
- straightforward
- certain

## Derived Forms
- problematically
- problematicalness

## Related Forms
- problem
- problematic
- problematize

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: problema
- Root: proballein

## Etymology
From problematic (from Late Latin problematicus, from Greek problematikos, from problema 'something thrown forward, a question', from proballein 'to throw forward') + the suffix -al.

## AI Etymology
Problematical comes from problematic (from Late Latin problematicus, from Greek problematikos, from problema 'something thrown forward, a question', from proballein 'to throw forward') + the suffix -al. The historical chain includes Ancient Greek problema and Ancient Greek proballein. The quoted older senses, "something thrown forward, a question" and "to throw forward", supply the semantic anchors for problematical. The formation is best read as suffixal, compound, and borrowed: the word problematical carries its older form-history into a compact English lexical shape. In present English it is used as a adj, "presenting a difficulty or doubt; questionable". English derivatives include problematically and problematicalness; related English forms include problem, problematic, and problematize. The result is a adj whose etymology preserves both the older form and the later English specialization.

## Topics
- Mind & Cognition
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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