dilemma
noun
di·lem·ma
| \ də-ˈle-mə
also dī-\
also dī-\
Definition of dilemma
1a
: a usually undesirable or unpleasant choice
faces this dilemma: raise interest rates and slow the economy or lower them and risk serious inflation
b
: a situation involving such a choice
here am I brought to a very pretty dilemma; I must commit murder or commit matrimony— George Farquhar
broadly
: predicament
lords and bailiffs were in a terrible dilemma — G. M. Trevelyan
2a
: a problem involving a difficult choice
the dilemma of "liberty versus order"— J. M. Burns
b
: a difficult or persistent problem
unemployment … the great central dilemma of our advancing technology— August Heckscher
3
: an argument presenting two or more equally conclusive alternatives against an opponent
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Other Words from dilemma
dilemmatic
\ ˌdi-lə-ˈma-tik
also ˌdī- \
adjective
also ˌdī- \
adjective
Examples of dilemma in a Sentence
When it comes to the boss, there is a real dilemma. You're caught between a career-limiting rejection of virtual friendship or a career-limiting access to photos of yourself glassy-eyed at a party.
— Jared Sandberg, Wall Street Journal, 10 July 2007
What's a pampered 20-something to do when her rich fiancé goes on a business trip and comes back married to someone else? That's the dilemma facing Elle Medina in Nichols's delightfully silly, vivacious debut.
— Publishers Weekly, 28 June 2004
Both authors are prepared to dwell as long on the savor of a ripe melon as on the significance of a moral dilemma.
— Roger Shattuck, New York Review of Books, 13 June 2002
The country's decision to go to war has caused a major dilemma for its allies.
We're facing a terrible dilemma.
I don't know what to do; it's a real dilemma.
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Recent Examples on the Web
An apparent correlation between the introduction of air bags and these types of deaths also poses a dilemma of sorts. — Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, "Kids are dying in hot cars at an alarming rate; safety agency tweets for awareness," 15 Aug. 2019 Get our daily newsletter This poses a mild dilemma for rich-world investors—which is soon resolved. — The Economist, "Why investors favour economically orthodox political strongmen," 27 July 2019 Instead, its approach has been to remove the posts once others flag them – but even that can pose a dilemma. — Kurt Wagner, latimes.com, "A black market in wildlife trafficking thrives on Facebook and Instagram," 12 July 2019 Time Hiring rebounded strongly in June as employers added 224,000 jobs, easing recession fears and posing a dilemma for a Federal Reserve that’s expected to cut interest rates later this month. — Janna Herron, USA TODAY, "June jobs report: Economy adds 224,000 jobs, easing recession fears," 5 July 2019 Not everyone agrees the accounting change poses a dilemma for WeWork. — Konrad Putzier, WSJ, "WeWork’s Mounting Lease Debt Looms Over IPO Plans," 18 June 2019 Still, the events Thursday pose a dilemma for Trump. — John Walcott, Time, "Oil Tanker Attacks Put Trump's Iran Red Line to the Test," 14 June 2019 This is the existential dilemma of our dysfunctional times. — Larry Edelman, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump knows he’s vulnerable to a recession — and it could kill his 2020 chances," 8 Aug. 2019 Choosing the best charity to support is sometimes a dilemma. — Trevor Fraser, orlandosentinel.com, "Helping puppies is a party with Bow Wow Luau in Orlando," 24 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dilemma.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for dilemma
dilemma
noun
English Language Learners Definition of dilemma
: a situation in which you have to make a difficult choice
See the full definition for dilemma in the English Language Learners Dictionary
dilemma
noun
di·lem·ma
| \ də-ˈle-mə
\
\
Kids Definition of dilemma
: a situation in which a person has to choose between things that are all bad or unsatisfactory
He was faced with the dilemma of having to tell on his best friend, or not telling and getting blamed himself.
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