predicament

[ pri-dik-uh-muhnt pred-i-kuh-muhnt ]

noun

1. an unpleasantly difficult, perplexing, or dangerous situation.
2. a class or category of logical or philosophical predication.
3. Archaic. a particular state, condition, or situation.

predicament

/ prɪˈdɪkəmənt /

noun

1. a perplexing, embarrassing, or difficult situation
2. obsolete.
   ˈprɛdɪkəmənt logic one of Aristotle's ten categories of being
3. archaic.
   a specific condition, circumstance, state, position, etc

Other Words From

• pre·dic·a·men·tal [pri-dik-, uh, -, men, -tl, pred-i-k, uh, -], adjective
• pre·dica·mental·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of predicament¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; 1580–90 predicament fordef 1; Middle English, from Late Latin praedicāmentum “something predicated, asserted,” derivative of praedicāre. See predicate, -ment

Word History and Origins

Origin of predicament¹

C14: from Late Latin praedicāmentum what is predicated, from praedicāre to announce, assert; see predicate

Synonym Study

Predicament, dilemma, plight, quandary refer to unpleasant or puzzling situations. Predicament and plight stress more the unpleasant nature, quandary and dilemma the puzzling nature of the situation. Predicament and plight are sometimes interchangeable; plight, however, though originally meaning peril or danger, is seldom used today except laughingly: When his suit wasn't ready at the cleaners, he was in a terrible plight. Predicament, though likewise capable of being used lightly, may also refer to a really crucial situation: Stranded in a strange city without money, he was in a predicament. Dilemma, in popular use, means a position of doubt or perplexity in which one is faced by two equally undesirable alternatives: the dilemma of a hostess who must choose between offending her anti-drinking guests or disappointing those who expected cocktails. Quandary is the state of mental perplexity of one faced with a difficult situation: There seemed to be no way out of the quandary.

Example Sentences

Through the glass, the 68-year-old paediatrician told me what she thought of her predicament.

From BBC

As Eco noted, it's a central paradox of fascism: "No fascist leader has ever succeeded in solving this predicament."

From Salon

"I really had to sit down with myself and ask, if my daughter came to me with the same predicament, what would be my response to her?"

From BBC

One last statistic, the most damaging of all, suggests the depth of the Democrats’ predicament.

From Salon

There are, of course, many answers to that, but the one I’ve been thinking about the most is what the criminal justice system’s role is in our current predicament.

From Slate

Related Words

• circumstance
• crisis
• deadlock
• dilemma
• hardship
• imbroglio
• impasse
• mess
• plight
• posture
• quagmire
• quandary