Predicament

//pɹɪˈdɪkəmənt// noun

noun ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A definite class, state or condition.
  2. 2
    a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one wordnet
  3. 3
    An unfortunate or trying position or condition.

    "Culture, for me, is the effort to provide a coherent set of answers to the existential predicaments that confront all human beings in the passage of their life."

  4. 4
    That which is predicated; a category.

Synonyms

All synonyms
plightadverse circumstancesadversityafflictionaggravationannoyance

Example

More examples

"If you'd been a bit more careful, we wouldn't be in this predicament."

Etymology

From Middle English predicament, from Old French predicament, from Late Latin praedicāmentum (“that which is predicated, a predicament, category”).

Related phrases

egocentric predicamentpredicament bondagebad situationcan of wormskettle of fishtight spot

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.