word problem

noun

: a mathematical problem expressed entirely in words typically used as an educational tool

Examples of word problem in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Consider a middle-school word problem: A store is selling 6 bags of marbles for $18. —

Shalinee Sharma, TIME, 7 Aug. 2024 Language models have learned to do surprising things that even those who trained them did not anticipate, including unscrambling words, performing eight-digit arithmetic, and solving mathematical word problems. —

Josh A. Goldstein, Foreign Affairs, 7 Apr. 2023 For example, customers can use Circle to Search on Android to highlight a math or physics word problem, and LearnLM will help solve the question. —

Emilia David, The Verge, 14 May 2024 In some classrooms, cicadas will be fodder for word problems and spelling tests. —

Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 21 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for word problem

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'word problem.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.