dilemma

See also: Dilemma

English

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.

Etymology

PIE word
*dwóh₁

First attested 1523, from Late Latin dilemma, from Ancient Greek δίλημμα (dílēmma, ambiguous proposition), from δι- (di-, having two of) + λῆμμα (lêmma, premise, proposition).

Pronunciation

  • enPR: dī-lĕmʹə or dĭ-lĕmʹə, IPA(key): /daɪˈlɛmə/, /dɪˈlɛmə/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛmə

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.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:dilemma
    • 1731, Jonathan Swift, An Epistle to Mr. Gay:
      A strong dilemma in a desperate case! / To act with infamy, or quit the place.
  2. A difficult circumstance or problem.
    Synonyms: bind, fix, pickle, problem, quandary
  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

Occasionally 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]

Derived terms

Translations

See also

References

  1. Michael Quinion (1996–2024) “Dilemma”, in World Wide Words.

Further reading

Anagrams

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dilemma, from Ancient Greek δίλημμα (dílēmma).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌdiˈlɛ.maː/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: di‧lem‧ma
  • Rhymes: -ɛmaː

Noun

dilemma n (plural dilemma's, diminutive dilemmaatje n)

  1. dilemma (between two alternatives)

Derived terms

Finnish

Etymology

From Late Latin dilemma, from Ancient Greek δίλημμα (dílēmma).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈdilemːɑ/, [ˈdile̞mːɑ̝]
  • Rhymes: -ilemːɑ
  • Syllabification(key): di‧lem‧ma

Noun

dilemma

  1. 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
abessive dilemmatta dilemmoitta
instructive dilemmoin
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of dilemma (Kotus type 13/katiska, no gradation)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative dilemmani dilemmani
accusative nom. dilemmani dilemmani
gen. dilemmani
genitive dilemmani dilemmoideni
dilemmoitteni
dilemmojeni
dilemmainirare
partitive dilemmaani dilemmoitani
dilemmojani
inessive dilemmassani dilemmoissani
elative dilemmastani dilemmoistani
illative dilemmaani dilemmoihini
adessive dilemmallani dilemmoillani
ablative dilemmaltani dilemmoiltani
allative dilemmalleni dilemmoilleni
essive dilemmanani dilemmoinani
translative dilemmakseni dilemmoikseni
abessive dilemmattani dilemmoittani
instructive
comitative dilemmoineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative dilemmasi dilemmasi
accusative nom. dilemmasi dilemmasi
gen. dilemmasi
genitive dilemmasi dilemmoidesi
dilemmoittesi
dilemmojesi
dilemmaisirare
partitive dilemmaasi dilemmoitasi
dilemmojasi
inessive dilemmassasi dilemmoissasi
elative dilemmastasi dilemmoistasi
illative dilemmaasi dilemmoihisi
adessive dilemmallasi dilemmoillasi
ablative dilemmaltasi dilemmoiltasi
allative dilemmallesi dilemmoillesi
essive dilemmanasi dilemmoinasi
translative dilemmaksesi dilemmoiksesi
abessive dilemmattasi dilemmoittasi
instructive
comitative dilemmoinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative dilemmamme dilemmamme
accusative nom. dilemmamme dilemmamme
gen. dilemmamme
genitive dilemmamme dilemmoidemme
dilemmoittemme
dilemmojemme
dilemmaimmerare
partitive dilemmaamme dilemmoitamme
dilemmojamme
inessive dilemmassamme dilemmoissamme
elative dilemmastamme dilemmoistamme
illative dilemmaamme dilemmoihimme
adessive dilemmallamme dilemmoillamme
ablative dilemmaltamme dilemmoiltamme
allative dilemmallemme dilemmoillemme
essive dilemmanamme dilemmoinamme
translative dilemmaksemme dilemmoiksemme
abessive dilemmattamme dilemmoittamme
instructive
comitative dilemmoinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative dilemmanne dilemmanne
accusative nom. dilemmanne dilemmanne
gen. dilemmanne
genitive dilemmanne dilemmoidenne
dilemmoittenne
dilemmojenne
dilemmainnerare
partitive dilemmaanne dilemmoitanne
dilemmojanne
inessive dilemmassanne dilemmoissanne
elative dilemmastanne dilemmoistanne
illative dilemmaanne dilemmoihinne
adessive dilemmallanne dilemmoillanne
ablative dilemmaltanne dilemmoiltanne
allative dilemmallenne dilemmoillenne
essive dilemmananne dilemmoinanne
translative dilemmaksenne dilemmoiksenne
abessive dilemmattanne dilemmoittanne
instructive
comitative dilemmoinenne
third-person possessor
singular plural
nominative dilemmansa dilemmansa
accusative nom. dilemmansa dilemmansa
gen. dilemmansa
genitive dilemmansa dilemmoidensa
dilemmoittensa
dilemmojensa
dilemmainsarare
partitive dilemmaansa dilemmoitaan
dilemmojaan
dilemmoitansa
dilemmojansa
inessive dilemmassaan
dilemmassansa
dilemmoissaan
dilemmoissansa
elative dilemmastaan
dilemmastansa
dilemmoistaan
dilemmoistansa
illative dilemmaansa dilemmoihinsa
adessive dilemmallaan
dilemmallansa
dilemmoillaan
dilemmoillansa
ablative dilemmaltaan
dilemmaltansa
dilemmoiltaan
dilemmoiltansa
allative dilemmalleen
dilemmallensa
dilemmoilleen
dilemmoillensa
essive dilemmanaan
dilemmanansa
dilemmoinaan
dilemmoinansa
translative dilemmakseen
dilemmaksensa
dilemmoikseen
dilemmoiksensa
abessive dilemmattaan
dilemmattansa
dilemmoittaan
dilemmoittansa
instructive
comitative dilemmoineen
dilemmoinensa

Further reading

Italian

Etymology

From Ancient Greek δίλημμα (dílēmma).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /diˈlɛm.ma/
  • Rhymes: -ɛmma
  • Hyphenation: di‧lèm‧ma

Noun

dilemma m (plural dilemmi)

  1. dilemma (between two alternatives)

Anagrams

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek δίλημμα (dílēmma).

Noun

dilēmma n (genitive dilēmmatis); third declension

  1. conclusion from two premises
  2. dilemma

Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

Case Singular Plural
Nominative dilēmma dilēmmata
Genitive dilēmmatis dilēmmatum
Dative dilēmmatī dilēmmatibus
Accusative dilēmma dilēmmata
Ablative dilēmmate dilēmmatibus
Vocative dilēmma dilēmmata
  • dilēmmātus

Descendants

  • Catalan: dilema
  • French: dilemme
  • Italian: dilemma
  • Portuguese: dilema
  • Romanian: dilemă
  • Spanish: dilema

References

  • “dĭlēmma”, in Gaffiot, 2016.

Swedish

Noun

dilemma n

  1. a dilemma (difficult choice between unfavorable options)

Declension

Declension of dilemma 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative dilemma dilemmat dilemman dilemmana
Genitive dilemmas dilemmats dilemmans dilemmanas

See also

References

Turkish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin dilemma, from Ancient Greek δίλημμα (dílēmma).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [di.lɛmːɑ]

Noun

dilemma (definite accusative dilemmayı, plural dilemmalar)

  1. dilemma
    Synonym: ikilem

Declension

Inflection
Nominative dilemma
Definite accusative dilemmayı
Singular Plural
Nominative dilemma dilemmalar
Definite accusative dilemmayı dilemmaları
Dative dilemmaya dilemmalara
Locative dilemmada dilemmalarda
Ablative dilemmadan dilemmalardan
Genitive dilemmanın dilemmaların
Possessive forms
Nominative
Singular Plural
1st singular dilemmam dilemmalarım
2nd singular dilemman dilemmaların
3rd singular dilemması dilemmaları
1st plural dilemmamız dilemmalarımız
2nd plural dilemmanız dilemmalarınız
3rd plural dilemmaları dilemmaları
Definite accusative
Singular Plural
1st singular dilemmamı dilemmalarımı
2nd singular dilemmanı dilemmalarını
3rd singular dilemmasını dilemmalarını
1st plural dilemmamızı dilemmalarımızı
2nd plural dilemmanızı dilemmalarınızı
3rd plural dilemmalarını dilemmalarını
Dative
Singular Plural
1st singular dilemmama dilemmalarıma
2nd singular dilemmana dilemmalarına
3rd singular dilemmasına dilemmalarına
1st plural dilemmamıza dilemmalarımıza
2nd plural dilemmanıza dilemmalarınıza
3rd plural dilemmalarına dilemmalarına
Locative
Singular Plural
1st singular dilemmamda dilemmalarımda
2nd singular dilemmanda dilemmalarında
3rd singular dilemmasında dilemmalarında
1st plural dilemmamızda dilemmalarımızda
2nd plural dilemmanızda dilemmalarınızda
3rd plural dilemmalarında dilemmalarında
Ablative
Singular Plural
1st singular dilemmamdan dilemmalarımdan
2nd singular dilemmandan dilemmalarından
3rd singular dilemmasından dilemmalarından
1st plural dilemmamızdan dilemmalarımızdan
2nd plural dilemmanızdan dilemmalarınızdan
3rd plural dilemmalarından dilemmalarından
Genitive
Singular Plural
1st singular dilemmamın dilemmalarımın
2nd singular dilemmanın dilemmalarının
3rd singular dilemmasının dilemmalarının
1st plural dilemmamızın dilemmalarımızın
2nd plural dilemmanızın dilemmalarınızın
3rd plural dilemmalarının dilemmalarının
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