dilemma

2 definitions • 7 examples

a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two different things you could do:

face a dilemma She faces the dilemma of disobeying her father or losing the man she loves.

in a dilemma She's in a dilemma because she feels she would lose out if she tried to transfer her pension fund elsewhere.

dilemma over The president is clearly in a dilemma over how to tackle the crisis.

dilemma about There's a real dilemma about how to respond.

moral dilemma Secrets often present a moral dilemma for adolescents.

ethical dilemma True ethical dilemmas are complex and have no easy answers.

a situation in which a choice has to be made between possibilities that will all have results you do not want:

The dilemma was over how to protect a charming little island and at the same time allow economic development on it.