intractable

English

Etymology

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *né
Proto-Indo-European *n̥-
Proto-Italic *n̥-
Latin in-bor.
Middle English in-
English in-
English tractable
English intractable

    From in- + tractable.

    Pronunciation

    • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ɪnˈtɹæk.tə.bəl/
    • Audio (US):(file)

    Adjective

    intractable (comparative more intractable, superlative most intractable)

    1. Not tractable; not able to be managed, controlled, governed or directed.
      • 1972, Edsger W. Dijkstra, The Humble Programmer (EWD340):
        And I cannot but expect that this will repeatedly lead to the discovery that an initially intractable problem can be factored after all.
    2. (mathematics, of a mathematical problem) Not able to be solved in polynomial time; too difficult to attempt to solve.
    3. Difficult to deal with, solve, or manage. (of a problem)
      • 1988, Robert Jackall, “Chapter 1: Moral Probations, Old and New”, in Moral Mazes: The World of Corporate Managers, Twentieth Anniversary edition, →ISBN, page 12:
        Work—bureaucratic work in particular—poses a series of intractable dilemmas that often demand compromises with traditional moral beliefs.
      • 2026 September 22, Donald Trump, speech at United Nations:
        Working with many nations in this room, we are solving decades of intractable challenges, and we are settling years of unfinished business.
    4. Stubborn; obstinate. (of a person)
    5. (medicine) Difficult to treat (of a medical condition).

    Derived terms

    Translations

    References

    Catalan

    Etymology

      From in- +‎ tractable.

      Pronunciation

      Adjective

      intractable m or f (masculine and feminine plural intractables)

      1. intractable
        Antonym: tractable

      Further reading

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