Problematize

//ˈpɹɒbləmətaɪz// verb

verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To make something into a problem. transitive

    ""If the mob are involved in building a casino," Tina says, "offing some guy who's problematizing their plans is nothing to them. […]"

  2. 2
    To consider something as if it were a problem. transitive

    "Dr Allen said it could affect social cohesion and potentially drive harmful rhetoric around migration when Australia's population change was problematised."

  3. 3
    To propose problems. intransitive

    "Hear him problematize."

Example

More examples

""If the mob are involved in building a casino," Tina says, "offing some guy who's problematizing their plans is nothing to them. […]"

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πρόβλημα, προβλήματος (próblēma, problḗmatos) + -ize.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.