Dictionary

dilemma en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /dɑeˈlemə/ (Australia)
• /dɪˈlɛmə/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (California) audio
• dī-lĕmʹə or dĭ-lĕmʹə
• /daɪˈlemə/ (New-Zealand)
• /dɪˈlemə/ (Australia)
• /dəˈlemə/ (New-Zealand)
• /daɪˈlɛmə/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

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”), equivalent to di- + lemma.

Meanings

1. 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. 1731, Jonathan Swift, An Epistle to Mr. Gay:
2. Any difficult circumstance or problem.
3. 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. (rhetoric) Offering to an opponent a choice between two (equally unfavorable) alternatives.

Forms

Coordinates

tetralemma · trilemma · polylemma

Deriveds

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

Hypernyms

difficult situation · option

Hyponyms

double bind

Relateds

tetralemma · trilemma · catch-22 · predicament · spanner · damned if one does and damned if one doesn't · Buridan's ass · pentalemma · conundrum · between Scylla and Charybdis · have the wolf by the ear · between a rock and a hard place · between the devil and the deep blue sea · lose-lose · polylemma · lemma · in a dilemma · doomed if you do, doomed if you don't

Synonyms

Sophie's choice · cross · jam · Catch-22 · dilemma · predicament · quagmire · hole · problem · sticky wicket · quandary · doghouse · ass in a sling · situation · cross to bear · tight spot · fix · no-win situation · trouble · pickle · kettle · Morton's fork · dilemma · pinch · pickle · ordeal · spot of bother · quandary · sticky situation · bind · spot · cauldron · kettle of fish · Hobson's choice · difficulty · quandary · dire straits · bucket of syrup · fix · bind · calvary · plight

Translations (85)

mk дилема (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · he דילמה (difficult circumstance) · vo diläm (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · hi दुविधा (difficult circumstance) · pdt Kjlam (difficult circumstance) · it dilemma (difficult circumstance) · bg диле́ма (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · fi dilemma (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · gd aincheist (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · ml ധർമ്മസങ്കടം (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · is valkreppa (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · pl dylemat (difficult circumstance) · it dilemma (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · ka დილემა (difficult circumstance) · gd imcheist (difficult circumstance) · es dilema (difficult circumstance) · ja ジレンマ (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · sv dilemma (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · is ógöngur (sbr. ógöngurök, ógöngurökfærsla) (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · ru диле́мма (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · ga aincheist (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · gl dilema (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · sk dilema (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · nl dilemma (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · sh дилема (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · cs dilema (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · hy դիլեմա (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · cmn 困境 (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · hi संशय (difficult circumstance) · grc δίλημμα (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · he דילמה (in logic) · de Dilemma (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · cmn 二難推理 /二难推理 (in logic) · cmn 困境 (difficult circumstance) · te విచికిత్స (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · hi दुविधा (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · fi dilemma (in logic) · hy երկընտրանք (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · tl awampili (in logic) · gl dilema (in logic) · bg или-или (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · hi असमंजस (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · eo dilemo (difficult circumstance) · pl dylemat (in logic) · hi असमंजस (difficult circumstance) · ko 딜레마 (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · eo dilemo (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · la dilemma (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · ca dilema (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · ar مُعْضِلَة (in logic) · pl dylemat (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · be дыле́ма (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · cmn 進退兩難的境地 /进退两难的境地 (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · es dilema (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · ar مِحْنَة (difficult circumstance) · tr dilemma (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · is valþröng (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · hu dilemma (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · ro dilemă (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · ca dilema (difficult circumstance) · fr dilemme (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · ru диле́мма (difficult circumstance) · ka დილემა (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · fa دوراهی (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · tr ikilem (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · io dilemo (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · eo dilemo (in logic) · cmn 窘境 (difficult circumstance) · he דילמה (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · ar مُعْضِلَة (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · pt dilema (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · es dilema (in logic) · is valtvenna (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · hi संशय (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · sh dilema (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · fi pulma (difficult circumstance) · fi dilemma (difficult circumstance) · cmn 兩難 /两难 (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · pt dilema (difficult circumstance) · uk диле́ма (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · pt dilema (in logic) · fa مشکل (difficult circumstance) · el δίλημμα (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · es disyuntiva (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives) · gl dilema (difficult circumstance)