What does intractability mean?
Intractability is the noun form of intractable, meaning the quality of being difficult or impossible to control, manage, persuade, or resolve. It is often used for problems, disputes, conflicts, and other situations that do not yield to ordinary methods. The word has a formal, analytical tone and suggests persistent difficulty rather than a temporary inconvenience. For example, a government may describe an armed conflict as intractable because diplomatic and military efforts have failed to produce a solution. In medicine and science, it can refer to conditions that resist treatment or understanding. Intractability is useful when describing difficulty that is deep, persistent, and built into the nature of a problem, while terms such as difficulty or complexity may be more neutral and less emphatic.
nounThe quality of being intractable: impossible or extremely difficult to control, manage, or persuade. It can also refer to a problem or situation that resists practical resolution.
- The quality of being impossible or extremely difficult to control, manage, or persuade.
- A condition or problem that resists practical resolution.
"The intractability of the negotiations led both sides to call for outside mediation."
"The intractability of the dispute made direct negotiation almost impossible."
"Researchers are studying the intractability of certain chronic diseases."
Rare; usually the uncountable singular is preferred for the quality of being intractable or for a general condition of resistance to control.
"The intractabilities of the border dispute have frustrated successive negotiations."
Intractability names the point at which a problem stops responding to ordinary persuasion or control and demands a different strategy.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does intractability come from?
The word is derived from Latin intractabilis, meaning 'unmanageable' or 'not to be handled.' Its elements are the Latin prefix in-, meaning 'not,' and tractare, meaning 'to pull, draw, handle, or manage.' English developed the related forms intractable and tractability, with intractability retaining the sense of a condition that cannot readily be controlled or resolved.
How intractability is actually used
Formal and often used in political, legal, scientific, and academic contexts. It is more common than the everyday expression 'being stubborn' and can describe either a difficult situation or the quality of something that resists control.
Easily confused with intractability
Intractability means being difficult or impossible to manage or persuade, whereas tractability means being manageable or easy to handle.