dilemma · noun — A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable. It carries an Arena rating of 1874, earned across 16 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, dilemma ranks #33 of 43,295 for Qualifying, #107 of 17,188 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #370 of 17,188 for Most Malleable Words, #623 of 17,162 for Most Elegant Words.
dilemma is pronounced /daɪˈlɛmə/.
Why “dilemma” is a great word
A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable. From the Late Latin dilemma, from Ancient Greek δίλημμα (dílēmma, 'ambiguous proposition'), from δι- (di-, 'two') + λῆμμα (lêmma, 'premise, proposition'); first attested in English in 1523. Unlike a quandary, which emphasizes a general state of perplexity without the specific structure of equally bitter paths, or a Hobson's choice, which presents a single option disguised as freedom, a dilemma is a forked road where both prongs lead somewhere you do not wish to go. It is the surgeon who must choose which twin to save, the administrator cutting either art or athletics from the budget, the citizen ordered to betray a friend or betray a country—the quiet agony of a mind, heavy with consequence, pacing between doors that all lead into shadow.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
First attested 1523, from Late Latin dilemma, from Ancient Greek δίλημμα (dílēmma, “ambiguous proposition”), from δι- (di-, “having two of”) + λῆμμα (lêmma, “premise, proposition”), equivalent to di- + lemma.
noun
- A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable.e.g.“A strong dilemma in a desperate case! / To act with infamy, or quit the place.” — 1731, Jonathan Swift, An Epistle to Mr. Gay:
- Any difficult circumstance or problem.
- 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".
- Offering to an opponent a choice between two (equally unfavorable) alternatives.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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