What does 'PROBLEMATIC' mean? - A very useful word - Learn English with Mr Duncan

He is an interesting word that he's used a lot these days,

especially when we are discussing attitudes and ways of behaving both in the present and from the past.

Things that were seen as acceptable and commonplace years ago.

But these days are looked at in a negative way.

The word is ‘problematic’.

As an adjective, the word problematic means the nature or the property of an action or occurrence.

A thing done might cause a problem or create some sort of difficulty.

An idea or plan might be described as problematic

if it is likely to cause anger and outrage amongst groups of people.

Something can be described as problematic if there is a certain amount of doubt over whether it will be accepted or not.

Where there is uncertainty, there is normally a problem.

Something that is difficult to deal with can be described as being problematic.

Something might present a problem to which there is no obvious solution.

For example, plans for a new airport runway will present many problems that will be impossible to avoid.

The proposal will be problematic both during the construction and after the runway is complete.

It would be fair to say that many things present their own problems.

However, most of the time these problems can be solved,

normally after a certain period of consultation.

The problems will be discussed and hopefully resolved.

There is one final use of the word problematic that I haven't told you about yet.

This particular definition relates to some things that might cause disapproval, outrage, and offence.

A problematic thing can be a type of attitude or viewpoint that is seen as offensive.

This can be something that is being done now in the present.

However, we might also look at things from the past and how they relate to the present day.

A good example being an old movie or TV show made many years ago...

in a time when attitudes were different. Something that was acceptable in the past might not in the present day.

The attitude towards a certain thing may have changed,

thus leading to certain things from the past becoming unacceptable.

Attitudes from the past may conflict with the ones held today.

Attitudes towards race, religion, gender, sexuality, politics and freedom have all drastically changed over the years.

These ‘old fashioned’ attitudes will become problematic

if they are somehow displayed on TV, in a movie, in a song, or in a book.

Words and actions from the past might be seen as problematic if they are likely to create offence,

although in reality most people are able to appreciate the difference in attitudes held in the past...

and the ones held now, and generally don't feel upset by them.

Who knows?

the acceptable attitudes we hold now may in the future be just as problematic.

This is all due to the fact that over time, everything changes.

Attitudes change. Societies change.

People change.

A problematic thing can be described as dubious, tricky, questionable.

It is something that is uncertain

and may or may not create problems in the future.

Here are some words that I've used today.

Attitude - the viewpoint or feeling towards something.

Conflict - the state of disagreement or war. To go against.

Drastically - extremely, very much. To a large degree.

Resolve - the ending of a disagreement or problem.

Uncertain - Not known. Unsure, open to question.