Meanings
plural Cadillac problems
- idiomaticAn insignificant problem of a privileged person.
It might not seem like a big deal and in the grand scheme of suffering, it is a Cadillac problem. But for me it was a significant step toward self-acceptance, and in that way, I guess it was brave.
2013, Cyndi Lee, May I Be Happy1 more example
My sponsor, when I present him with a nagging problem (usually trivial, although blown out of proportion in my warped mind), invariably replies, "Lou, that's a Cadillac problem. Read page 417, and get grateful for what you have … now!"
2011, Louis Teresi, Hijacking the Brain, page 197Synonyms: first world problem
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn insignificant problem of a privileged person.
Origin
In reference to the luxury automobile brand.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Cadillac problem. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cadillac%20problem
“Cadillac problem.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cadillac%20problem. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Cadillac problem,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cadillac%20problem.
Source: Cadillac problem on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.