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''dilemma'' ▫ᴱᴺ｜Definition｜1st｜20260904152658-00-⌔

dilemma - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Noun

dilemma (plural dilemmas or dilemmata)

  • A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable.
    • ✤ Synonyms: see Thesaurus: dilemma
    • ✤ A strong dilemma in a desperate case!/To act with infamy, or quit the place.1
  • Any difficult circumstance or problem.
    • ✤ Synonyms: bind, fix, pickle, problem, quandary; see also Thesaurus: difficult situation
  • (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”.
  • (rhetoric) Offering to an opponent a choice between two (equally unfavorable) alternatives.

Etymology

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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.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: dī-lĕmʹə or dĭ-lĕmʹə
    • (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada) IPA: /daɪˈlɛmə/, /dɪˈlɛmə/
      • Audio (California): 🔊
    • (Australia) IPA: /dɑeˈlemə/, /dɪˈlemə/
    • (New Zealand) IPA: /daɪˈlemə/, /dəˈlemə/
  • Rhymes: -ɛmə

Printed 2026-09-04.

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Footnotes

  1. 1731, Jonathan Swift, An Epistle to Mr. Gay: ↩

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