Learn English – A word that means “a solution in search of a problem”

single-word-requests

People tend to let capability mislead priority. We refer to this as "a solution in search of a problem". If your job is to point these out to people, it would be nice to do so with a single word.

Any ideas ?

Best Answer

I usually refer to (and hear others refer to) such solutions as a hammer in reference to Maslow's Hammer and various sayings to the effect of, "if you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail." (Meaning: One who has some tool or solution will tend to see problems as those that can be addressed by that tool/solution, even if that really isn't the right one for that problem.)

Effective use of the term requires the recipient to be already familiar with the concept/proverb, and a context where it's clear that you're not referring to any literal hammer.