noun
dilemma
deye-LEH-muh
noun
1
A situation requiring a choice between two or more options, all of which are difficult or unwelcome.
"She faced a dilemma: keep the secret or betray her friend’s trust."
"The company was stuck in a moral dilemma over the layoffs."
How to Use Dilemma
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA tough choice between two options that both have downsides.
Common mistake
Spelled "dilemma," not "delimma" or "dilemna" — there’s no silent n.
Common pairings
face a dilemma
moral dilemma
ethical dilemma
Word Forms
dilemmas plural, dilemmata plural
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She faced a _____: keep the secret or betray her friend’s trust.
Etymology
From Late Latin dilemma, from Greek dilemma, "double proposition" — from di-, "two," plus lemma, "premise."