predicament

[pri-dik-uh-muhnt, pred-i-kuh-muhnt]

noun

1. an unpleasantly difficult, perplexing, or dangerous situation.

2. a class or category of logical or philosophical predication.

3. Archaic.,  a particular state, condition, or situation.

predicament

/ prɪˈdɪkəmənt /

noun

1. a perplexing, embarrassing, or difficult situation

2. obsolete,  logic one of Aristotle's ten categories of being

3. archaic,  a specific condition, circumstance, state, position, etc

Other Word Forms

• predicamental adjective
• predicamentally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of predicament¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; 1580–90 predicament for def. 1; Middle English, from Late Latin praedicāmentum “something predicated, asserted,” derivative of praedicāre. See predicate, -ment

Word History and Origins

Origin of predicament¹

C14: from Late Latin praedicāmentum what is predicated, from praedicāre to announce, assert; see _predicate

Synonym Study

Predicament, dilemma, plight, quandary refer to unpleasant or puzzling situations. Predicament and plight stress more the unpleasant nature, quandary and dilemma the puzzling nature of the situation. Predicament and plight are sometimes interchangeable; plight, however, though originally meaning peril or danger, is seldom used today except laughingly: When his suit wasn't ready at the cleaners, he was in a terrible plight. Predicament, though likewise capable of being used lightly, may also refer to a really crucial situation: Stranded in a strange city without money, he was in a predicament. Dilemma, in popular use, means a position of doubt or perplexity in which one is faced by two equally undesirable alternatives: the dilemma of a hostess who must choose between offending her anti-drinking guests or disappointing those who expected cocktails. Quandary is the state of mental perplexity of one faced with a difficult situation: There seemed to be no way out of the quandary.

Example Sentences

The enigmatic fellow was well aware of the estate’s predicament, as he himself was a skilled sandwich maker, and the lack of bread had deprived him of his favorite lunchtime meal.

Read more on Literature

As plots went, they were thrilling, but the thought of Simon in such a predicament filled Penelope with dread.

Read more on Literature

But after a November interview revealed he had been dating a different partner since 2020, Chinese social media has been torn on Mr Junmin's predicament.

Read more on BBC

The Big Ten is partly in this predicament, Acker said, because conference commissioners in general “were ceded far too much power.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson offered a case study in the central bank’s predicament on Monday, acknowledging the risk of stubborn inflation and weaker employment conditions—dueling threats that call for opposing prescriptions.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• circumstance 
• crisis 
• deadlock 
• dilemma 
• hardship 
• imbroglio 
• impasse 
• mess 
• plight 
• posture 
• quagmire 
• quandary