underlying difficulty

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "underlying difficulty" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to a fundamental or hidden challenge that affects a situation or problem. Example: "The underlying difficulty in the project was the lack of resources, which hindered our progress."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

"More authentically Blair", says his biographer, "is the style of stringing people along and keeping options open, while waiting to see what happens and whether anything falls into his lap .The underlying difficulty both books identify is, simply, the lack of a philosophical compass.

The Economist

How each side manages those tensions will determine a great deal, but the underlying difficulty is that Europeans have limited sway over Turkey's leadership because they are in a state of dependence on Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The Guardian - Opinion

The underlying difficulty is holding together the coalition of local and foreign judges, lawyers and administrators who staff the court.Foreign staff want to expand the docket from five to ten suspects and to order testimony from six high-ranking members of the current government.

The Economist

We offer a less rigorous scale analysis argument to explain why the underlying difficulty in accelerating short-range interactions is not peculiar to the Gaussian RBF basis or to the Fast Gauss Transform, but rather is likely to be a generic difficulty in accelerating the short-range interactions of almost any RBF basis with almost any Fast Summation.

Journal of Computational Physics

It has been suggested that at least some aspects of this pathology may be related to an underlying difficulty in processing context information [1] [4].

Plosone

Such networks promote increased fitness and resilience and may explain the underlying difficulty in cultivating most environmental microorganisms [ 25– 27].

BMC Genomics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

He added: "The marriage had become extremely strained and there were underlying difficulties concerning money, the conduct of Teresa Gilbertson, and her unrealistic expectation of what he could provide.

The Guardian

Within minutes of the filing of the suits, several banks responded with a preview of the legal arguments they will make in the coming months, namely that Fannie and Freddie were sophisticated investors who should have known the securities were not without risk, and that the losses were caused not by fraud or misrepresentation but by underlying difficulties in the housing market.

The New York Times

The underlying difficulties faced by students seemed to have high, even uncompromising standards and high quality objectives.

European Journal of Futures Research

This article is intended to review the strategies, current progresses and underlying difficulties in using machine learning methods for predicting these protein binders and as potential virtual screening tools.

Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

The underlying difficulties associated with these problems arise from the lack of collision detection mechanisms, the potential inability of RFID readers to relay packets generated by other readers, and severe resource constraints on RFID tags.

Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "underlying difficulty", ensure you clearly articulate what that difficulty is and its impact on the situation. This adds clarity and prevents ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid focusing solely on surface-level symptoms without addressing the "underlying difficulty". Treating symptoms without addressing the root cause can lead to recurring problems.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "underlying difficulty" functions as a noun phrase, where "underlying" modifies "difficulty." It identifies a fundamental or less obvious problem influencing a situation. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is usable and correct.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "underlying difficulty" is a grammatically sound and contextually versatile expression used to pinpoint fundamental, often non-obvious problems. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. Predominantly found in science, news, and formal business contexts, it serves to highlight core issues influencing situations. Alternatives such as "fundamental challenge" and "root cause problem" offer nuanced variations. To use it effectively, clearly articulate the difficulty and its impacts. Avoid focusing solely on surface symptoms without addressing the underlying root, which could perpetuate the issue. Keep in mind, according to Ludwig examples, authoritative sources like The New York Times, The Guardian and The Economist, frequently employ the phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fundamental challenge

Emphasizes the foundational nature of the problem.

root cause problem

Highlights the causal origin of the difficulty.

basic impediment

Focuses on the hindering aspect of the core issue.

primary obstacle

Stresses the main barrier or hindrance.

core complication

Indicates a central and complex issue.

key challenge

Highlights the significance of the challenge.

central issue

Highlights the main topic of discussion or concern.

major stumbling block

Emphasizes the significant obstacle hindering progress.

hidden obstacle

Focuses on the not obvious nature of the problem.

latent problem

Implies a problem that is present but not yet visible or active.

FAQs

How can I use "underlying difficulty" in a sentence?

You can use "underlying difficulty" to describe a fundamental problem that is not immediately obvious. For example, "The "underlying difficulty" in the project was a lack of communication between teams."

What are some alternatives to "underlying difficulty"?

Alternatives include "fundamental challenge", "root cause problem", or "core complication" depending on the specific context.

What is the difference between "underlying difficulty" and "obvious problem"?

"Underlying difficulty" refers to a problem that is not immediately apparent, requiring investigation to uncover, while "obvious problem" is easily noticeable and requires no special effort to identify.

Is it better to address the symptoms or the "underlying difficulty"?

While addressing symptoms can provide temporary relief, it is generally more effective to address the "underlying difficulty" to achieve a long-term solution.