Meanings
nounwicked problem (plural wicked problems)
plural wicked problems
- social planningA problem that is difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 棘手問題 /棘手问题
- 棘手問題 /棘手问题 (jíshǒu wèntí)problem
Finnish viheliäinen ongelma
- viheliäinen ongelmaproblem
German verzwicktes Problem, vertracktes Problem
- verzwicktes Problemproblem
- vertracktes Problemproblem
Cite this entry
APA
wicked problem. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wicked%20problem
MLA
“wicked problem.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wicked%20problem. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wicked problem,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wicked%20problem.
Source: wicked problem on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.