trilemma

[ trahy-lem-uh ]

noun

1. a situation, analogous to a dilemma, in which there are three almost equally undesirable alternatives:

   His trilemma consisted in not knowing whether to acknowledge receipt, deny it, or simply leave.

2. Logic. a form of argument in which three choices are presented, each of which is indicated to have consequences that may be unfavorable.

trilemma

/ traɪˈlɛmə /

noun

1. a quandary posed by three alternative courses of action
2. an argument one of the premises of which is the disjunction of three statements from each of which the same conclusion is derived

Word History and Origins

Origin of trilemma¹

First recorded in 1665–75; tri- + (di)lemma

Word History and Origins

Origin of trilemma¹

C17: formed on the model of dilemma , from tri- + Greek lēmma assumption

Example Sentences

But the book’s main conclusion is that there is no winning the trilemma, and no resolution to a bankrupt transit agency, city, or state that is going to make everyone happy.

From Slate

The president would face what we have called a “trilemma” in which all his options are unconstitutional.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s clearer than ever after the past three years that the world wants and needs energy that is secure and affordable as well as lower carbon — all three together, what’s known as the energy trilemma,” BP chief executive Bernard Looney said in a news release Tuesday.

From Washington Post

“They are in sort of a trilemma,” said Jonathan Portes, a professor of economics and public policy at Kings College London.

From New York Times

Among those ideals: preventing people from being tortured into confessing or being shoehorned into a “cruel trilemma of self-accusation, perjury or contempt” of court.

From Seattle Times