🇫🇷French Source WordCode: FR

dilemme

Pronunciation / Transliteration: di.lɛm

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Dilemma/dɪˈlɛm.ə/
nounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #3450 frequency
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🇫🇷 Example Sentence in French:

"Il se trouve face à un terrible dilemme."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

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

    "Faced with the moral dilemma of whether to betray his family or his duty, Arjuna hesitated on the battlefield."
  2. 2

    A problem offering two possibilities, neither of which is acceptably advantageous.

    "The company found itself in a classic dilemma: cut jobs or risk bankruptcy."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the ancient Greek lemma, meaning 'premise' or 'assumption', combined with di-, meaning 'twice' or 'two'. The term historically referred to a philosophical argument presenting two alternative propositions, both of which are conclusive against an opponent.

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