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/

• Audio (US)

  (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).

Derived terms

• dilemmalike
• dilemmanade
• dilemmatic
• dilemmaticity
• Euthyphro dilemma
• false dilemma
• Goldman's dilemma
• gunfighter's dilemma
• Heinz dilemma
• innovator's dilemma
• on the horns of a dilemma
• table-maker's dilemma

 

Related terms

• lemma
• trilemma
• tetralemma
• pentalemma
• polylemma

Translations

circumstance in which a choice must be made between two alternatives

• Armenian: երկընտրանք (hy) (erkəntrankʿ), դիլեմա (hy) (dilema)
• Belarusian: дыле́ма f (dyljéma)
• Bulgarian: диле́ма (bg) f (diléma)
• Catalan: dilema m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 困境 (zh) (kùnjìng), 進退兩難的境地／进退两难的境地 (jìntuìliǎngnán de jìngdì), 兩難／两难 (zh) (liǎngnán)

• Czech: dilema (cs) n
• Dutch: dilemma (nl) n
• Esperanto: dilemo
• Finnish: dilemma (fi)
• French: dilemme (fr) m
• Galician: dilema (gl) m
• German: Dilemma (de) n
• Greek: δίλημμα (el) n (dílimma)

  Ancient: δίλημμα (dílēmma)

• Hebrew: דילמה (he) f (diléma)
• Hindi: दुविधा (hi) (duvidhā)
• Icelandic: valkreppa f, valtvenna f, valþröng f, ógöngur f pl (sbr. ógöngurök, ógöngurökfærsla)
• Ido: dilemo (io)
• Irish: aincheist f
• Italian: dilemma (it) m
• Japanese: ジレンマ (ja) (jirenma)
• Korean: 딜레마 (dillema)
• Latin: dilemma f
• Macedonian: дилема f (dilema)
• Malayalam: ധർമ്മസങ്കടം (dhaṟmmasaṅkaṭaṁ)
• Persian: دوراهی (fa) (dorâhi)
• Polish: dylemat (pl) m
• Portuguese: dilema (pt) m
• Romanian: dilemă (ro) f
• Russian: диле́мма (ru) f (dilémma)
• Scottish Gaelic: aincheist f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: дилема f

  Roman: dilema (sh) f

• Slovak: dilema f
• Spanish: dilema (es) m, disyuntiva (es) f
• Swedish: dilemma (sv) n
• Telugu: విచికిత్స (te) (vicikitsa)
• Turkish: ikilem (tr), dilemma (tr)
• Ukrainian: диле́ма f (dyléma)
• Volapük: diläm (vo)

difficult circumstance

• Catalan: dilema m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 窘境 (zh) (jiǒngjìng), 困境 (zh) (kùnjìng)

• Esperanto: dilemo
• Finnish: dilemma (fi), pulma (fi)
• Galician: dilema (gl) m
• Hebrew: דילמה (he) f (diléma)
• Italian: dilemma (it) m
• Persian: مشکل (fa) (moškel)
• Plautdietsch: Kjlam f
• Polish: dylemat (pl) m
• Portuguese: dilema (pt) m
• Russian: диле́мма (ru) f (dilémma)
• Spanish: dilema (es) m

in logic

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 二難推理／二难推理 (èrnántuīlǐ)

• Esperanto: dilemo
• Finnish: dilemma (fi)
• Galician: dilema (gl) m
• Hebrew: דילמה (he) f (diléma)
• Polish: dylemat (pl) m
• Portuguese: dilema (pt) m
• Spanish: dilema (es) m
• Tagalog: awampili

See also

• between a rock and a hard place
• between the devil and the deep blue sea
• between Scylla and Charybdis
• Buridan's ass
• no-win situation
• catch-22
• damned if one does and damned if one doesn't
• doomed if you do, doomed if you don't
• predicament

Further reading

• dilemma on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Silva Rhetoricae

Anagrams

• midmeal

Dutch

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌdiˈlɛ.maː/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: di‧lem‧ma
• Rhymes: -ɛmaː

Noun

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

1. dilemma (between two alternatives)

Derived terms

• dilemmatisch

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

• “dilemma”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

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)

Related terms

• dilemmatico

Anagrams

• dammeli, dimmela

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

Related terms

• 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

• vara i valet och kvalet

References

• dilemma in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• dilemma in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• dilemma in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

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