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Intractability: meaning, definitions and examples

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intractability

 

[ ɪnˌtræktəˈbɪlɪti ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

complexity theory

The quality or state of being intractable, i.e. difficult to manage or control. In complexity theory, intractability refers to computational problems that cannot be efficiently solved by algorithms.

Synonyms

difficultness, stubbornness, unmanageability.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
intractability

Best suited for formal contexts when referring to a situation, problem, or person that is hard to deal with or control.

  • The intractability of the negotiations made it difficult to reach an agreement
  • The child’s intractability frustrated the teacher
stubbornness

Often used in a negative manner to describe someone who is not willing to change their mind or accept help.

  • Her stubbornness prevented her from asking for help
  • The team faced setbacks due to his stubbornness in following outdated methods
unmanageability

Best used when discussing situations, behaviors, or conditions that are hard to control or manage.

  • The unmanageability of the wild animal made it a danger to others
  • The new software's unmanageability caused delays in the project
difficultness

Used in informal conversations to describe something that is hard to do or understand.

  • The difficultness of the exam surprised all the students
  • They underestimated the difficultness of planning such a large event

Examples of usage

  • The intractability of the problem led researchers to seek alternative solutions.
  • His stubbornness and intractability made it impossible to negotiate with him.

Translations

Translations of the word "intractability" in other languages:

🇵🇹 intratabilidade

🇮🇳 असहनीयता

🇩🇪 Unlösbarkeit

🇮🇩 ketidakmampuan dipecahkan

🇺🇦 нерозв'язність

🇵🇱 nierozwiązywalność

🇯🇵 解決不可能性

🇫🇷 intractabilité

🇪🇸 intratabilidad

🇹🇷 çözümsüzlük

🇰🇷 해결 불가능성

🇸🇦 عدم القابلية للحل

🇨🇿 neřešitelnost

🇸🇰 neriešiteľnosť

🇨🇳 难以解决

🇸🇮 nerešljivost

🇮🇸 óleysanleiki

🇰🇿 шешілмейтіндік

🇬🇪 გაუხსნელობა

🇦🇿 həll olunmazlıq

🇲🇽 intratabilidad

Etymology

The word 'intractability' has its roots in the Latin word 'intractabilis', which means 'that cannot be handled'. The term gained popularity in complexity theory, a branch of computer science, to describe problems that are difficult or impossible to solve efficiently. These intractable problems play a crucial role in understanding the limits of computation and have led to the development of new algorithms and approaches to tackle them.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #34,099 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.