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dilemma

noun
/daɪˈlɛmə/CA/dɑeˈlemə/

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ First attested 1523, from Late Latin dilemma, from Ancient Greek δίλημμα (dílēmma, “ambiguous proposition”), from δι- (di-, “having two of”) + λῆμμα (lêmma, “premise, proposition”).

  1. derived from δίλημμα
  2. borrowed from dilemma

Definitions

  1. A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem…

    A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable.

    • A strong dilemma in a desperate case! / To act with infamy, or quit the place.

  2. Any difficult circumstance or problem.

  3. A type of syllogism of the form "if A is true then B is true

    A type of syllogism of the form "if A is true then B is true; if C is true then D is true; either A or C is true; therefore either B or D is true".

  4. ›+ 1 more definition

    1. Offering to an opponent a choice between two (equally unfavorable) alternatives.

The neighborhood

Derived

agency dilemma, centipede's dilemma, dilemmalike, dilemmanade, dilemmatic, dilemmaticity, dilemmic, Euthyphro dilemma, false dilemma, Faustian dilemma, Goldman's dilemma, gunfighter's dilemma, Heinz dilemma, innovator's dilemma, on the horns of a dilemma, table-maker's dilemma

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for dilemma. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA