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Definition problem in British English

problem noun

[countable] noun
/ˈprɒbləm/

▪ big, fundamental, important, insoluble, intractable, major, pressing, real, serious

▪ address, alleviate, cause, compound, create, encounter, exacerbate, experience, face, overcome, pose, resolve, solve, tackle

1

something that causes trouble or difficulty

Example

a major cause of traffic problems in the city

Example

the problem of unemployment

Example

Homelessness is a serious problem for a lot of young people.

Example

We've been having problems with the heating in the office.

Example

That still doesn't solve our problem.

Example

The continuing bad weather is causing serious problems for farmers.

Example

Racial tensions in the south of the city pose a real problem for the police.

Example

They're the best cameras on the market. The only problem is they're incredibly expensive.

Synonyms and related words
1.1

something that has a bad effect on someone's health or behaviour

Example

a drug/alcohol problem

Synonyms and related words
Example

a problem child/family

Synonyms and related words
2

a question that someone is given to answer as a test of their ability

Synonyms and related words
3

used for saying that telling someone about a problem makes it easier to deal with

Definition problem in British English