central problem
nounUK /ˈsɛntrəl ˈprɒbləm/
US /ˈsɛntrəl ˈprɑːbləm/
The central problem is the biggest, most important problem in a story or situation.
The central problem in the story is that the little dog is lost.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The main difficulty that a plan or project must solve.
The central problem with the plan is that it costs too much money.
3. The most important question that a science or math idea tries to answer.
The central problem in this math puzzle is finding the missing number.
4. The main thing that makes a situation hard to fix.
The central problem is that nobody can agree on what to do.