an avoidable problem

USAGE SUMMARY

"an avoidable problem" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when discussing issues that could have been prevented. For example, "The delay was an avoidable problem that could have been addressed earlier." Alternative expressions include "a preventable issue" and "a solvable dilemma."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

"This is an avoidable problem.

The New York Times - Tech

Injuries are a part of the accepted risk, but fatigue is, or should be, an avoidable problem.

The New York Times - Sports

"Let me remind New Yorkers," the mayor said, in urging them not to drink and drive, "it's an avoidable problem for yourself -- meaning you don't need the ticket, you don't need the car taken, you don't have to go to court and try to get it back".

The New York Times

Such a simple solution to an avoidable problem: just shake that racism stuff off -- it's a free country!

Huffington Post

Failure to select the proper setting is an avoidable problem if you take the time to read the manual first.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

The tragedy of women dying in the context of being pregnant or giving birth continues to be a major, but almost entirely avoidable, problem.

Global Health Action

"However, the drivers have decided that, if similar problems should manifest themselves during the German GP, we shall immediately withdraw from the event, as this avoidable problem with the tyres endangers again the lives of drivers, marshals and fans".

The Guardian - Sport

The economic burden of uncorrected refractive error (URE) is thought to be high in Mozambique, largely as a consequence of the lack of resources and systems to tackle this largely avoidable problem.

BMC Health Services Research

"Failure to properly prepare for the rapid inflow of citizens from the previous group of eight states in 2004 and the effects that this had on communities was short-sighted, and led to a number of avoidable problems.

BBC

Perhaps a "hot line"—of the sort that used to connect Washington and Moscow during the cold war would be a way to forestall such avoidable problems.

The Economist

And it's always a shame to have to deal with completely avoidable problems".

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair this phrase with clear evidence of what could have been done differently to make your critique more persuasive.

Common error

Ensure you use the article "an" instead of "a". Because "avoidable" begins with a vowel sound, using "a avoidable problem" is a common phonetic error that disrupts the flow of formal writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an avoidable problem" functions as a noun phrase consisting of an indefinite article, an adjective, and a noun. It typically serves as a subject complement (e.g., "This is "an avoidable problem"") or a direct object. According to Ludwig, it is frequently used to provide a post-mortem analysis of failures.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Reference

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "an avoidable problem" is a precise and powerful tool in English for highlighting that a negative outcome could have been prevented with better judgment or action. Ludwig AI indicates that it is most prevalent in high-quality journalism and scientific research, where it serves to categorize errors or health risks as unnecessary. It follows standard grammar rules, requiring the article "an" before the vowel-starting adjective. Whether used in a business report to describe a logistical failure or in a news article to critique policy, it effectively communicates that the responsibility for a setback lies in lack of foresight rather than fate.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a preventable issue

Shifts the focus from dodging a situation to the active possibility of prevention.

an unnecessary complication

Emphasizes that the problem adds needless complexity to a situation.

a forestallable hurdle

Uses a more formal verb to describe an obstacle that could have been anticipated.

an evitable difficulty

Uses the direct antonym of inevitable, though it is less common in modern usage.

a manageable setback

Focuses on the ability to control or mitigate the problem rather than just avoiding it.

an eludible crisis

Suggests a more severe situation that nevertheless could have been escaped.

a redundant obstacle

Implies the problem is not only avoidable but serves no purpose or is repetitive.

a non-inevitable misfortune

Uses a double negative to stress that fate was not the deciding factor.

a ward-offable dilemma

A more colloquial or descriptive way to suggest the problem could have been kept at bay.

a bypassable glitch

Common in technical contexts to describe a minor problem that has a workaround.

FAQs

How to use "an avoidable problem" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe mistakes that were within someone's control, such as: "The data breach was "an avoidable problem" caused by outdated software."

Is it "a avoidable problem" or "an avoidable problem"?

The correct form is always "an avoidable problem" because the word "avoidable" starts with a vowel sound.

What can I say instead of "an avoidable problem"?

Depending on the severity, you might use "a preventable issue", "an unnecessary complication" or "a foreseeable mistake".

What is the opposite of "an avoidable problem"?

The direct opposite is "an unavoidable problem", which refers to an issue that is inevitable regardless of precautions.