Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Dilemma
1.
(Logic)
An argument which presents an antagonist with two or more alternatives, but is equally conclusive against him, whichever alternative he chooses.
☞ The following are instances of the dilemma. A young rhetorician applied to an old sophist to be taught the art of pleading, and bargained for a certain reward to be paid when he should gain a cause. The master sued for his reward, and the scholar endeavored to elude his claim by a dilemma. “If I gain my cause, I shall withhold your pay, because the judge’s award will be against you; if I lose it, I may withhold it, because I shall not yet have gained a cause.” “On the contrary,” says the master, “if you gain your cause, you must pay me, because you are to pay me when you gain a cause; if you lose it, you must pay me, because the judge will award it.”
Johnson.
2.
A state of things in which evils or obstacles present themselves on every side, and it is difficult to determine what course to pursue; a vexatious alternative or predicament; a difficult choice or position.
A strong
To act with infamy, or quit the place.
dilemma
in a desperate case!To act with infamy, or quit the place.
Swift.
Horns of a dilemma
, alternatives, each of which is equally difficult of encountering.
Webster 1828 Edition
Dilemma
DILEMMA
,Noun.
1.
In logic, an argument equally conclusive by contrary suppositions. A young rhetorician said to an old sophist; Instruct me in pleading, and I will pay you, when I gain a cause. The master sued for the reward, and the scholar endeavored to elude the claim by a dilemma. If I gain my cause, I shall withhold your pay, because the award of the judge will be against you. It I lose it, I may withhold it, because I shall not yet have gained a cause. The master replied: If you gain your cause, you must pay me, because you are to pay me, when you gain a cause; if you lose it, you must pay me, because you are to pay me, when you gain a cause; if you lose it, you must pay me, because the judge will award it.2.
A difficult or doubtful choice; a state of things in which evils or obstacles present themselves on every side, and it is difficult to determine what course to pursue.A strong dilemma in a desperate case!
To act with infamy, or quit the place.
Definition 2024
Dilemma
dilemma
dilemma
See also: Dilemma
English
Noun
dilemma (plural dilemmas or dilemmata)
- A circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable.
- Jonathan Swift
- A strong dilemma in a desperate case! / To act with infamy, or quit the place.
- Jonathan Swift
- A difficult circumstance or problem.
- (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.
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 (e.g. Isaac Watts, Defoe & Goldsmith).[1]
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
Related terms
Translations
circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives
|
|
difficult circumstance
in logic
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
Anagrams
Dutch
Pronunciation
Noun
dilemma n (plural dilemma's, diminutive dilemmaatje n)
- dilemma (between two alternatives)
Finnish
(index d)
Pronunciation
- Hyphenation: di‧lem‧ma
Noun
dilemma
- dilemma (between two alternatives)
Declension
| Inflection of dilemma (Kotus type 13/katiska, no gradation) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | dilemma | dilemmat | |
| genitive | dilemman | dilemmoiden dilemmoitten dilemmojen |
|
| partitive | dilemmaa | dilemmoita dilemmoja |
|
| illative | dilemmaan | dilemmoihin | |
| singular | plural | ||
| nominative | dilemma | dilemmat | |
| accusative | nom. | dilemma | dilemmat |
| gen. | dilemman | ||
| genitive | dilemman | dilemmoiden dilemmoitten dilemmojen dilemmainrare |
|
| partitive | dilemmaa | dilemmoita dilemmoja |
|
| 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 | |
Italian
Etymology
From Ancient Greek δίλημμα (dílēmma).
Noun
dilemma m (plural dilemmi)
- dilemma (between two alternatives)