Issues vs. Problems

Issues vs. Problems Issues vs. Problems Issues vs. Problems By Maeve Maddox The word issue has been used with various meanings since the Middle Ages. For most of that time, English speakers have talked about issues, but rarely have they had issues. Issue derives from classical Latin exitus: â€Å"to go out.† The noun issue can refer to the action of flowing out, as in the medical sense of â€Å"a discharge of blood or other matter from the body†: Three days afterward there was an  issue of pus  through this opening. An issue can be an exit, a place where something comes out: The identity of its waters is shown by the re-appearance of light bodies at  its issue  that have  been thrown into it above the place where it enters the mountains. As a verb, issue means, â€Å"to exit† or â€Å"come out of†: How to explain these expressions of frustration, contempt and downright hatred heard from audiences  issuing from the theatre? When Theseus was most enraged by his conviction that his wife had betrayed him, a deep, subliminal rumble would  issue from  beneath the auditorium, making the whole  theatre  shake. As a noun, issue can mean children: This amendment proved academic, as the abdicated  King  Edward VIII  died without issue  in 1972. Some matter or question that is under discussion or in question is an issue: The issue under discussion was not about victims or about pity, but rather about challenging oppression and discrimination. The public is concerned with issues of all kinds: The Five Main Issues Facing Modern Feminism Juvenile Delinquency: Current Issues, Best Practices, and Promising Approaches The issue of bullying in schools Why Campaign Finance Reform Is the First Issue That We Must Address Issues are topics that are viewed differently by different people. Problems are major and minor difficulties that must be overcome. Problems are not controversial in the way that issues are. For example, the adoption of the Common Core Standards is an issue. Poor television reception is a problem. Since the mid-1980s, the noun issue has been co-opted by many speakers as a word for what used to be referred to as a problem. problem: a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome, harmful, or wrong and needing to be overcome; a difficulty. Here are some examples that use issue where the word problem would be sufficient: What Should I Do If My Child Has Learning Issues? Treating Foster Children for Psychological Issues I can sympathize with people who have an  issue with dogs.   If you suspect that you need more help with your reception issues, just have a chat with your local antenna specialist. Hairballs are a common  issue with cats. Is your Apple computer having issues playing sound from the built-in speakers? Ive noticed that people with contacts dont have as much of an  issue with onions. Perhaps some speakers feel that issue sounds grander or more scientific than problem. To be sure, there is some overlap between issues and problems. Climate change, for example, is both an issue and a problem. But when it comes to controlling hairballs and peeling onions, problem will suffice. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should KnowTime Words: Era, Epoch, and Eon25 Idioms About Bread and Dessert