dilemma
Americannoun
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a situation requiring a choice between equally undesirable alternatives.
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any difficult or perplexing situation or problem.
- Synonyms:
- difficulty, question
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Logic. a form of syllogism in which the major premise is formed of two or more hypothetical propositions and the minor premise is a disjunctive proposition, as “If A, then B; if C then D. Either A or C. Therefore, either B or D.”
noun
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a situation necessitating a choice between two equal, esp equally undesirable, alternatives
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a problem that seems incapable of a solution
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logic a form of argument one of whose premises is the conjunction of two conditional statements and the other of which affirms the disjunction of their antecedents, and whose conclusion is the disjunction of their consequents. Its form is if p then q and if r then s; either p or r so either q or s
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faced with the choice between two equally unpalatable alternatives
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in an awkward situation
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Usage
The use of dilemma to refer to a problem that seems incapable of a solution is considered by some people to be incorrect
Related Words
See predicament.
Other Word Forms
- dilemmatic adjective
- dilemmatical adjective
- dilemmatically adverb
- dilemmic adjective
Etymology
Origin of dilemma
First recorded in 1515–25; from Late Latin, from Greek dílēmma, equivalent to di- “two, twice” ( di- 1 ) + lêmma “an assumption, premise,” derivative of lambánein “to take”
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.
“The court’s left with this dilemma that I have not faced in my entire time on the bench and I don’t take it lightly,” Birotte said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
The dilemma for the Fed is that an energy shock can simultaneously push prices higher and drag down economic growth by squeezing household budgets and raising costs for businesses.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Inside the army, commercial exports of weapons at a time of war present an ethical dilemma.
From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026
This is the biggest dilemma Venkatesham and his fellow power brokers face as they work on a strategy before their next Premier League game, away to Sunderland on 12 April.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
The prisoner’s dilemma owes its name to a scenario, formally identical to the one above, wherein two men suspected of a major crime are apprehended in the course of committing some minor offense.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
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.
