Entscheidungsproblem

/ɛntˈʃʌɪ.dʊŋsˌpɹɒ.bləm/UK, dated/entˈʃaɪd.ʊŋsˌpɹɒb.lɪm/

noun

A decision problem of finding a way to decide whether a formula is true or provable within a given system.

OriginGerman Entscheidungsproblem →
Scrabble 33
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Meanings

noun
  1. human sciencesA decision problem of finding a way to decide whether a formula is true or provable within a given system.

    Turing was attending Max Newman's lectures on the foundations of mathematics when the Entscheidungsproblem first attracted his attention.

    2012, George Dyson, Turing's Cathedral, Penguin, published 2013, page 279
    1 more example

    ‘The Entscheidungsproblem,’ Rudy said. ‘Meaning?’ Alan explained, ‘Hilbert wanted to know whether any given statement could, in principle, be found true or false.’

    1999, Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon

Origin

  1. GermanEntscheidungsproblem
  2. EnglishEntscheidungsproblem

Unadapted borrowing from German Entscheidungsproblem.

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Entscheidungsproblem. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Entscheidungsproblem

MLA

“Entscheidungsproblem.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Entscheidungsproblem. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Entscheidungsproblem,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Entscheidungsproblem.

Source: Entscheidungsproblem on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.