difficulty

English Online Dictionary. What means difficulty‎? What does difficulty mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English difficultee, from Old French difficulté, from Latin difficultas, from difficul, older form of difficilis (“hard to do, difficult”), from dis- + facilis (“easy”); see difficile and difficult. Equivalent to dis- +‎ facile +‎ -ty. Also analysable as difficult +‎ -y, though the adjective is historically a backformation from the noun.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/

Noun

difficulty (countable and uncountable, plural difficulties)

1. The state of being difficult, or hard to do.
2. An obstacle that hinders achievement of a goal.
3. (sometimes in the plural) Physical danger from the environment, especially with risk of drowning
   • 2012 August 2, "Children rescued after getting into difficulties in Donegal" BBC Online
4. An objection.
5. That which cannot be easily understood or believed.
6. An awkward situation or quarrel.

Derived terms

Related terms

• difficile
• difficult

Translations

Further reading

• “difficulty”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “difficulty”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.