intractable

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Not tractable

   Not tractable; not able to be managed, controlled, governed or directed.

   • And I cannot but expect that this will repeatedly lead to the discovery that an initially intractable problem can be factored after all.
2. 2

   Not able to be solved in polynomial time

   Not able to be solved in polynomial time; too difficult to attempt to solve.

3. 3

   Difficult to deal with, solve, or manage. (of a problem)

   • Work—bureaucratic work in particular—poses a series of intractable dilemmas that often demand compromises with traditional moral beliefs.
4. ›+ 2 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      Stubborn

      Stubborn; obstinate. (of a person)

   2. 5

      Difficult to treat (of a medical condition).

The neighborhood