Dilemma Definition

dĭ-lĕmə
dilemmas
noun
dilemmas
An argument necessitating a choice between equally unfavorable or disagreeable alternatives.
Webster's New World
Any situation in which one must choose between unpleasant alternatives.
Webster's New World
Any serious problem.
Webster's New World

(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".

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Dilemma

Noun

Singular:
dilemma
Plural:
dilemmas, dilemmata

Origin of Dilemma

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

    From Wiktionary

  • Late Latin from Greek dilēmma ambiguous proposition di- two di–1 lēmma proposition lemma1

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to dilemma using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

dilemma