English Explanatory Dictionary

dilemma

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable.
  2. Any difficult circumstance or problem.
  3. A type of syllogism of the form "if A is true then B is true; if C is true then D is true; either A or C is true; therefore either B or D is true".
  4. Offering to an opponent a choice between two (equally unfavorable) alternatives.

Pronunciation

dī-lĕmʹə or dĭ-lĕmʹə /daɪˈlɛmə/ /dɪˈlɛmə/ en-us-dilemma.ogg /dɑeˈlemə/ /dɪˈlemə/ /daɪˈlemə/ /dəˈlemə/

Word forms

dilemma dilemmas dilemmata

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ First attested 1523, from Late Latin dilemma, from Ancient Greek δίλημμα (dílēmma, “ambiguous proposition”), from δι- (di-, “having two of”) + λῆμμα (lêmma, “premise, proposition”).

Synonyms

Catch-22 dilemma Hobson's choice Morton's fork no-win situation quandary Sophie's choice bind fix pickle problem ass in a sling bucket of syrup calvary cauldron cross cross to bear difficulty dire straits doghouse hole jam kettle kettle of fish ordeal pinch plight predicament quagmire situation spot spot of bother sticky situation sticky wicket tight spot trouble

Related words

lemma trilemma tetralemma pentalemma polylemma between a rock and a hard place between the devil and the deep blue sea between Scylla and Charybdis Buridan's ass catch-22 damned if one does and damned if one doesn't doomed if you do, doomed if you don't predicament conundrum have the wolf by the ear lose-lose spanner in a dilemma

Derived words

agency dilemma centipede's dilemma dilemmalike dilemmanade dilemmatic dilemmaticity dilemmic Euthyphro dilemma false dilemma Faustian dilemma Goldman's dilemma gunfighter's dilemma Heinz dilemma innovator's dilemma on the horns of a dilemma table-maker's dilemma

Translations

Arabic: مُعْضِلَة Chinese Mandarin: 二難推理 /二难推理 Esperanto: dilemo Finnish: dilemma Galician: dilema Hebrew: דילמה Polish: dylemat Portuguese: dilema Spanish: dilema Tagalog: awampili
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