trolley problem
Americannoun
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a hypothetical ethical dilemma in which a trolley would kill several people if it continues on its current track but would kill one person if diverted; used to discuss the ethics of sacrificing one to save many.
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a situation in which all the available choices are bad or harmful.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Screenshots shared online include claims the chatbot praised them for being angry at someone who asked them for directions, and unique version of the trolley problem.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2025
Wickline’s songs are always clever, but she’s also good at selling the emotional beats behind them, even when it’s as ridiculous as a love song themed to the trolley problem.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2025
While this trolley problem is indeed dark, it's a choice many people face every day.
From Salon • May 28, 2024
Aguilar found the philosophical thought experiment the "trolley problem" applicable in his research.
From Science Daily • Feb. 7, 2024
Instead it feels theoretical, a filigreed representation of the classic trolley problem.
From New York Times • May 6, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
