Dilemma: meaning, definitions and examples

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dilemma

 

[ dษชหˆlษ›mษ™ ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

ethical

A situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two or more alternatives, especially equally undesirable ones.

Synonyms

conundrum, predicament, quandary

Examples of usage

  • Jane found herself in a dilemma when she had to choose between saving her job or standing up for her principles.
  • Facing a moral dilemma, Tom struggled to decide whether to tell the truth and risk losing his friend's trust, or to keep quiet and betray his own values.
Context #2 | Noun

philosophical

A situation in which a choice has to be made between two or more options that seem equally desirable.

Synonyms

predicament, predilection, quandary

Examples of usage

  • His dilemma was whether to accept the well-paid job offer or follow his passion for art.
  • The character in the story was confronted with a dilemma: to betray his family for wealth or remain loyal and poor.

Translations

Translations of the word "dilemma" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น dilema

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคฆเฅเคตเคฟเคงเคพ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Dilemma

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ dilema

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะดะธะปะตะผะฐ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ dylemat

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ใ‚ธใƒฌใƒณใƒž

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท dilemme

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ dilema

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท ikilem

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๋”œ๋ ˆ๋งˆ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ู…ุฃุฒู‚

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ dilema

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ dilema

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ไธค้šพ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ dilema

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ valkost

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะดะฐา“ะดะฐั€ั‹ั

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒ“แƒ˜แƒšแƒ”แƒ›แƒ

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ dilemma

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ dilema

Etymology

The word 'dilemma' originated from the Greek word 'dilemma', which means 'double proposition'. It entered the English language in the late 16th century. The concept of a dilemma has been discussed in philosophy, ethics, and literature for centuries, reflecting the complexities of decision-making and moral choices.

Word Frequency Rank

At #7,213 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.