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DIFFICULTY

 - 3 dictionary results

dif⋅fi⋅cul⋅ty

  [dif-i-kuhl-tee, -kuhl-tee]
Use DIFFICULTY in a Sentence
–noun, plural -ties.
1. the fact or condition of being difficult.
2. Often, difficul⋅ties. an embarrassing situation, esp. of financial affairs.
3. a trouble or struggle.
4. a cause of trouble, struggle, or embarrassment.
5. a disagreement or dispute.
6. reluctance; unwillingness.
7. a demur; objection.
8. something that is hard to do, understand, or surmount; an impediment or obstacle.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME difficulte (< AF) < L difficultās, equiv. to difficil(is) difficile + -tās -ty 2

Synonyms:
2. dilemma, predicament, quandary, plight, fix, exigency, strait. 3. problem.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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dif·fi·cul·ty   (dĭf'ĭ-kŭl'tē, -kəl-)   
n.   pl. dif·fi·cul·ties

  1. The condition or quality of being difficult: the difficulty of a task.

  2. Something not easily done, accomplished, comprehended, or solved.

  3. A troublesome or embarrassing state of affairs, especially of financial affairs. Often used in the plural.

  4. A laborious effort; a struggle; trouble: had difficulty walking; completed the test with difficulty.

  5. A disagreement or dispute.

  6. Reluctance or an objection; unwillingness.


[Middle English difficulte, from Old French dificulte, from Latin difficultās, from difficilis, difficult : dis-, dis- + facilis, easy; see dhē- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: These nouns denote something that requires great effort to overcome: grappling with financial difficulties; a life of hardship; undergoing the rigors of prison; withstood the vicissitudes of an army career.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

difficulty 
1382, from O.Fr. difficulte, from L. difficultatem (nom. difficultus), from difficilis "hard," from dis- "not, away from" + facilis "easy" (see facile). Difficult is a c.1400 back-formation.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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