conundrum

noun

co·​nun·​drum kə-ˈnən-drəm How to pronounce conundrum (audio)
1
a
: an intricate and difficult problem
He is faced with the conundrum of trying to find a job without having experience.
b
: a question or problem having only a conjectural answer
… the political conundrums involved, particularly the problem of how the richer areas … can be made to subsidize the poorer.Douglass Cater
2
: 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.")

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.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The conundrum pits Trump and Modi, two nationalist leaders who have often described their friendship in warm terms, increasingly against each other. Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025 Cauley’s latest novel centers the conundrum of work. Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 31 July 2025 The committee has estimated that a couple with medium dual income retiring in 2033 would lose $18,100 per year in benefits if the trust fund conundrum is not solved. Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025 And yet: How might the system of blue-ribbon panelists combing through episode submissions help cut through the current TV conundrum of too many shows, not enough time to watch them all? Joe Reid, Vulture, 26 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for conundrum

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of conundrum was in 1645

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Conundrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conundrum. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

conundrum

noun
co·​nun·​drum kə-ˈnən-drəm How to pronounce conundrum (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on conundrum

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!