trilemma

American  

[trahy-lem-uh] / traɪˈlɛm ə /

noun

1. a situation, analogous to a dilemma, in which there are three almost equally undesirable alternatives.

   His trilemma consisted in not knowing whether to acknowledge receipt, deny it, or simply leave.

2. Logic.  a form of argument in which three choices are presented, each of which is indicated to have consequences that may be unfavorable.

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trilemma British  

/ traɪˈlɛmə /

noun

1. a quandary posed by three alternative courses of action

2. an argument one of the premises of which is the disjunction of three statements from each of which the same conclusion is derived

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Etymology

Origin of trilemma

First recorded in 1665–75; tri- + (di)lemma

Example Sentences

The U.K. government demonstrated the problem with its annual budget, where it is stuck in a trilemma, unable to please lenders and voters while also doing the right thing for the economy.

From The Wall Street Journal

France has the same trilemma, only worse.

From The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. doesn’t yet have the trilemma created by conflicting demands on tax, spending and borrowing, thanks to global demand for dollars funneling money into Treasurys.

From The Wall Street Journal

Weakening oil prices and falling profits are forcing management teams to rethink their spending priorities, signaling a shift in what Head of European Energy Research at Bank of America Chris Kuplent calls the “capital allocation trilemma.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The trilemma traditionally means balancing three key areas: Delivering strong shareholder distributions; maintaining a healthy balance sheet and investing in reserves—whether that is traditional oil and gas or expanding into alternative energy assets.

From The Wall Street Journal