dilemma

See also Dilemma

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• enPR: dī-lĕmʹə or dĭ-lĕmʹə, IPA: /daɪˈlɛmə/, /dɪˈlɛmə/, X-SAMPA: /daI"lEm@/, /dI"lEm@/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛmə

Wikipedia

In the story of Odysseus, a ship captain faced a dilemma when he was forced to choose between confronting one of two dangerous sea monsters, Scylla or Charybdis, leading to the phrase between Scylla and Charybdis.

Noun

dilemma (plural dilemmas or dilemmata)

1. A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable.
2. (Discuss⁽⁺⁾ this sense) (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-standard[by whom?].
• 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. (i.e. Watts, Defroe & Goldsmith)

Synonyms

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

Derived terms

• on the horns of a dilemma

Related terms

• lemma
• trilemma

Translations

circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives

• Belarusian: дылема (be) (dyléma) f 
• Bulgarian: дилема (bg) (diléma) f 
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 困境 (cmn) (kùnjìng), 進退兩難的境地 (cmn), 进退两难的境地 (cmn) (jìntuìliǎngnán de jìngdì)

• Czech: dilema (cs) n
• Dutch: dilemma (nl) n
• Esperanto: dilemo (eo)
• French: dilemme (fr) m
• German: Dilemma (de) n
• Greek: δίλημμα (el) (dílimma) n 

  Ancient: δίλημμα (dilēmma)

• Ido: dilemo (io)
• Italian: dilemma (it) m
• Japanese: ジレンマ (ja) (jirenma)
• Korean: 딜레마 (ko) (dillema)

• Latin: dilemma (la) f
• Malayalam: ധര്‍മ്മസങ്കടം (ml) (dharma sankatam)
• Polish: dylemat (pl) m
• Portuguese: dilema (pt) m
• Russian: дилемма (ru) (dilémma) f 
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: дилема (sh) f

  Roman: dilema (sh) f

• Slovak: dilema (sk) f
• Spanish: dilema (es) m
• Swedish: dilemma (sv) n
• Telugu: విచికిత్స (te) (vichikitsa)
• Turkish: ikilem (tr)
• Ukrainian: дилема (uk) (dyléma) f 
• Volapük: diläm (vo)

difficult circumstance

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 窘境 (cmn) (jiǒngjìng)

• Esperanto: dilemo (eo)

• Italian: dilemma (it) m
• Portuguese: dilema (pt) m
• Russian: дилемма (ru) (dilémma) f 

in logic

• Esperanto: dilemo (eo)

• Portuguese: dilema (pt) m

See also

• Wikisaurus:dilemma
• between a rock and a hard place
• between the devil and the deep blue sea
• between Scylla and Charybdis
• Buridan's ass

References

• Silva Rhetoricae

Anagrams

• midmeal

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Dutch

Noun

dilemma n (plural dilemma's, diminutive dilemmaatje)

1. dilemma (between two alternatives)

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Finnish

(index d)

Wikipedia ^fi

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: di‧lem‧ma

Noun

dilemma

1. dilemma (between two alternatives)

Declension

Declension of dilemma (type katiska) singular plural nominative dilemma dilemmat genitive dilemman dilemmoiden dilemmoitten dilemmojen dilemmain1 partitive dilemmaa dilemmoita dilemmoja accusative dilemma dilemman dilemmat inessive dilemmassa dilemmoissa elative dilemmasta dilemmoista illative dilemmaan dilemmoihin adessive dilemmalla dilemmoilla ablative dilemmalta dilemmoilta allative dilemmalle dilemmoille essive dilemmana dilemmoina translative dilemmaksi dilemmoiksi instructive – dilemmoin abessive dilemmatta dilemmoitta comitative – dilemmoineen 1) Rare.

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Italian

Etymology

From Ancient Greek δίλήμμα (dilēmma).

Noun

dilemma m (plural dilemmi)

1. dilemma (between two alternatives)

Related terms

• dilemmatico

Anagrams

• dammeli, dimmela