Dilemma

Pronunciation

• enPR: dÄ«-lÄ•mʹə or dÄ­-lÄ•mʹə, IPA: /daɪˈlÉ›mÉ™/, /dɪˈlÉ›mÉ™/
• Rhymes: -É›mÉ™

Origin

First attested 1523, from Late Latin dilemma, from Ancient Greek δίλημμα (dilēmma, "ambiguous proposition"), from δι- + λῆμμα (lēmma, "premise, proposition").

Full definition of dilemma

Noun

1. A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable.
• Jonathan SwiftA strong dilemma in a desperate case!
  To act with infamy, or quit the place.
2. (loosely) A difficult circumstance or problem.
3. (logic) 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.

Usage notes

The sense of a difficult circumstance or problem is considered non-standardwhom?.

Occasionally spelled/misspelled as dilemna, perhaps originally via false analogy with words such as condemn, solemn, and hymn. This spelling has been reportedly taught in many regions of Great Britain and The United States as well as around the world; and can be found in the works of many well-known authors. (e.g. Watts, Defroe & Goldsmith)

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-dil1.htm, additional text.

Synonyms

• (circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives)
• (any difficult circumstance) bind, fix, pickle, problem, quandary
• (logic)
• (rhetoric)

Derived terms

• on the horns of a dilemma

Related terms

• lemma
• trilemma
• tetralemma
• pentalemma

Anagrams

• midmeal