51Թ

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View synonyms for

dilemma

[dih-lem-uh]

noun

  1. a situation requiring a choice between equally undesirable alternatives.

  2. any difficult or perplexing situation or problem.

    Synonyms: ,
  3. 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.”



dilemma

/ dɪˈlɛmə, ˌdɪlɪˈmætɪk, daɪ-, ˌdaɪlɪ- /

noun

  1. a situation necessitating a choice between two equal, esp equally undesirable, alternatives

  2. a problem that seems incapable of a solution

  3. 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

    1. faced with the choice between two equally unpalatable alternatives

    2. in an awkward situation

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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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
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • dilemmatic adjective
  • dilemmatical adjective
  • dilemmic adjective
  • dilemmatically adverb
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of dilemma1

First recorded in 1515–25; from Late Latin, from Greek íŧ, equivalent to di- “two, twice” ( di- 1 ) + ê “an assumption, premise,” derivative of áԱ𾱲 “to take”
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of dilemma1

C16: via Latin from Greek, from di- 1 + ŧ assumption, proposition, from lambanein to take, grasp
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Idioms and Phrases

see horns of a dilemma.
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Synonym Study

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

But the intense anguish some feel at this moment has exacerbated the dilemma.

From

A major dilemma is whether to gamble on the fitness of Lauren James.

From

"Lee may speak of national unity, but he faces a profound dilemma: how to pursue accountability for what many view as an attempted insurrection without deepening the very divisions he seeks to heal."

From

Back in 2010, on “The Good Wife,” the writers kept painting our characters into corners, finding dilemmas they couldn’t escape, and then finding ways for them to do so.

From

On the edge of Buckingham in southern England, the quiet and leafy village of Maids Moreton, dotted with thatched cottages, is at the heart of a dilemma.

From

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