conundrum

noun

co·​nun·​drum kə-ˈnən-drəm 

1

a

: an intricate and difficult problem

He is faced with the conundrum of trying to find a job without having experience.

… resorts seeking to maintain their postcard-perfect beaches face the same conundrum: What should be done with plastic waste once it is collected?

—Aryn Baker

b

: a question or problem having only a conjectural answer

And yet this abstract conundrum has practical implications. —Joshua Rothman

2

archaic : a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun (as in "Why didn't the lost hikers starve in the desert? Because of the sand which is there.")

… Phebe would have … enjoyed the stories told, been quick at guessing the conundrums, and laughed with all her heart at the fun.

—Louisa May Alcott

Did you know?

We can only conjecture the exact origin of conundrum. What is known is that the word has been in use since the 1600s, and that it had various spellings, such as conimbrum, quonundrum, conuncrum, and quadundrum, before the current spelling was finally established in the following century. One theory of origin suggests that the word was coined as a parody of Latin by students at Oxford University, where it appears to have enjoyed particular popularity in its "word play" or "pun" sense. While the prevalent sense in this century is that of the seemingly unanswerable question or problem, frequently applied to heady dilemmas involving ethics, sociology, or economics, the word is sometimes so loosely applied to anything enigmatic as to be synonymous with puzzle or mystery.

Synonyms of conundrum

• mystery
• enigma

Examples of conundrum in a Sentence

… giving parents a wealth of educational options sometimes presents a familiar inner-city conundrum: What if all your choices are bad ones? —Katherine Boo, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2001

Mention of poor eyes and good eyes brings me to the creationist's favorite conundrum. What is the use of half an eye? —Richard Dawkins, River Out of Eden, 1995

The explanation of this conundrum is to be heard, at this very moment, on certain surreptitious radio waves, on which the voice of the American convert Bilal is … transmuted into the thunderous speech of the Imam himself. —Salman Rushdie, Harper's, December 1988

the conundrum of how an ancient people were able to build such massive structures without the benefit of today's knowledge and technology

Recent Examples on the Web

Answering this conundrum may involve searching for physics beyond the Standard Model, possibly using future facilities such as the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO). —Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2025

By posing real-life examples of conundrums faced by traders, Fibonacci brought maths to life. —Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025

Whether to extend the enhanced ACA subsidies that cost taxpayers billions of dollars yearly poses a serious political conundrum for Republicans. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025

Their away form is a conundrum for Howe, who, at different times, has presided over a Newcastle team that has gone on both long unbeaten and winless runs away from St James’ Park. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Kids Definition

conundrum

noun

co·​nun·​drum kə-ˈnən-drəm 

: riddle entry 1 sense 1, puzzle