A dilemma is a situation in which a choice must be made between alternative courses of action or argument. Although citational evidence attests to widespread use of the term meaning simply “problem” or “predicament” and involving no issue of choice, 58 percent of the Usage Panel in our 1999 survey rejected the sentence Historically, race has been the great dilemma of democracy. • It is sometimes claimed that because the di– in dilemma comes from a Greek prefix meaning “two,” the word should be used only when exactly two choices are involved. Nevertheless, 64 percent of the Usage Panel in our 1988 survey accepted its use for choices among three or more options.
Philosophy Dictionary: dilemma
The simplest form of a dilemma is an argument of the form: ‘If p then q, if not-p then q, so in any event q.’ More complex forms were traditionally distinguished. A constructive dilemma is of the form: ‘If p then r, if q then r, but either p or q, so r.’ A destructive dilemma is of the form: ‘If p then q, and if p then r, but either not-q or not-r, so not-p.’ The two conditional premises of a dilemma are called its horns. Escaping between the horns of the dilemma is denying the disjunction ‘p or q’; taking it by the horns is denying one of the conditionals. The notion generalizes to trilemmas, in which there are three horns (see, for example, Bayle's trilemma). For other dilemmas see Euthyphro dilemma, moral dilemmas, prisoners' dilemma.
A dilemma (Greek δί-λημμα "double proposition") is a problem offering two solutions or possibilities, of which neither is acceptable. The two options are often described as the horns of a dilemma, neither of which is comfortable.
The dilemma is sometimes used as a rhetorical device, in the form "you must accept either A, or B"; here A and B would be propositions each leading to some further conclusion. Applied in this way, it may be a fallacy, a false dichotomy.
In formal logic, the definition of a dilemma differs markedly from everyday usage. Two options are still present, but choosing between them is immaterial because they both imply the same conclusion. Symbolically expressed thus:
A \vee B, A \Rightarrow C, B \Rightarrow C \vdash C
Which can be translated informally as "one (or both) of A or B is known to be true, but they both imply C, so regardless of the truth values of A and B we can conclude C."
Horned dilemmas can present more than two choices. The number of choices of Horned dilemmas can be used in their alternative names, such as two-pronged (two-horned) or dilemma proper , or three-pronged (three-horned) or trilemma, and so on.
A dilemma is an impossible choice because neither possibility is favorable. For example, to be forced to choose which of your two children to save from certain death. You can only choose one, and there is no other choice and no possibility of saving both.
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Dilenma is not a word, but Dilemma is and it means:
1. a situation requiring a choice between equally undesirable alternatives.
2. any difficult or perplexing situation or problem.
A dilemma is a situation in which a choice must be made between alternative courses of action or argument. Although citational evidence attests to widespread use of the term meaning simply “problem” or “predicament” and involving no issue of choice, 58 percent of the Usage Panel in our 1999 survey rejected the sentence Historically, race has been the great dilemma of democracy. • It is sometimes claimed that because the di– in dilemma comes from a Greek prefix meaning “two,” the word should be used only when exactly two choices are involved. Nevertheless, 64 percent of the Usage Panel in our 1988 survey accepted its use for choices among three or more options.
Philosophy Dictionary: dilemma
The simplest form of a dilemma is an argument of the form: ‘If p then q, if not-p then q, so in any event q.’ More complex forms were traditionally distinguished. A constructive dilemma is of the form: ‘If p then r, if q then r, but either p or q, so r.’ A destructive dilemma is of the form: ‘If p then q, and if p then r, but either not-q or not-r, so not-p.’ The two conditional premises of a dilemma are called its horns. Escaping between the horns of the dilemma is denying the disjunction ‘p or q’; taking it by the horns is denying one of the conditionals. The notion generalizes to trilemmas, in which there are three horns (see, for example, Bayle's trilemma). For other dilemmas see Euthyphro dilemma, moral dilemmas, prisoners' dilemma.
A dilemma (Greek δί-λημμα "double proposition") is a problem offering two solutions or possibilities, of which neither is acceptable. The two options are often described as the horns of a dilemma, neither of which is comfortable.
The dilemma is sometimes used as a rhetorical device, in the form "you must accept either A, or B"; here A and B would be propositions each leading to some further conclusion. Applied in this way, it may be a fallacy, a false dichotomy.
In formal logic, the definition of a dilemma differs markedly from everyday usage. Two options are still present, but choosing between them is immaterial because they both imply the same conclusion. Symbolically expressed thus:
A \vee B, A \Rightarrow C, B \Rightarrow C \vdash C
Which can be translated informally as "one (or both) of A or B is known to be true, but they both imply C, so regardless of the truth values of A and B we can conclude C."
Horned dilemmas can present more than two choices. The number of choices of Horned dilemmas can be used in their alternative names, such as two-pronged (two-horned) or dilemma proper , or three-pronged (three-horned) or trilemma, and so on.
http://www.answers.com/dilemma
A dilemma is an impossible choice because neither possibility is favorable. For example, to be forced to choose which of your two children to save from certain death. You can only choose one, and there is no other choice and no possibility of saving both.
The word is dilemma. It means to have a problem/issue.
what d_r_siva said