predicament

noun

pre·dic·a·ment | \ pri-ˈdi-kə-mənt,

sense 1 is usually ˈpre-di-kə-\

Definition of predicament

1 : the character, status, or classification assigned by a predication specifically : category sense 1

2 : condition, state especially : a difficult, perplexing, or trying situation

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about predicament

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Examples of predicament in a Sentence

The captain of archers fidgeted and coughed and rolled his eyes at his men, as if such cupidity and dishonor were an inevitable but minor aspect of the human predicament … — Michael Chabon, New York Times Magazine, 6 May 2007 We saw photographs that week of buildings burning, stunned onlookers, dust-covered firemen. Very few pictures conveyed the fact that people just like us, our fellow passengers on the subway, suddenly found themselves in a mortal predicament and many died horribly. — Garrison Keillor, New York Times Book Review, 3 Sept. 2006 The President found himself in the backwash of earlier deals, and the demands of secrecy made his predicament the more vexing. — Taylor Branch, Parting the Waters, 1988 The governor has gotten himself into quite a predicament. I don't know how to get out of the predicament I'm in.

Recent Examples on the Web

At the core of Idlib's predicament is the thousands of jihadists entrenched in the province along with the civilians. — Zeina Karam, Fox News, "Iran summit seeks to avert a bloodbath in northwestern Syria," 6 Sep. 2018 The Dolphins, who have a lot of needs, will be in this very predicament on Thursday. — Jordan Mcpherson, miamiherald, "Will Game 5 be the end for the Miami Heat or the start of an NBA playoff rally? | Miami Herald," 24 Apr. 2018 Beauty companies are not insensible to this predicament. — Cristina Mueller, Town & Country, "Beauty and the Bees," 6 Dec. 2012 Since the 787 predicament, the Boeing senior management team has undergone a sweeping makeover, including the arrival of Mr. Muilenburg, who ran Boeing’s defense operations at the time of the Dreamliner’s woes. — Andy Pasztor, WSJ, "Boeing Leadership Faces PR Hurdles After Lion Air Crash," 5 Dec. 2018 For Wish, there are still real challenges to its warehouse approach serving as the company’s answer to the cheap-China-postage predicament. — Jason Del Rey, Recode, "Trump’s latest China threat could crush the $8 billion Amazon competitor Wish. Here’s its plan to fight back.," 18 Oct. 2018 Nobody knows more about the history, lore, and current predicament of Madrid’s taverns than Carlos Osorio, the author of the most exhaustive book on the topic, Tabernas y tapas en Madrid, first published in 2004 and now in its fifth edition. — Benjamin Kemper, Condé Nast Traveler, "Tapas Crawling With Madrid’s 'Taberna King'," 26 Sep. 2018 That doesn’t necessarily stop people in this predicament from sharing a roof with one (or many) furry soulmates. — Colleen Stinchcombe, SELF, "Here Are 9 Ways to Deal With a Pet Allergy If You Love Animals," 30 Nov. 2018 In theory, India does not have to face a binary choice between allies, but in practice, may increasingly be faced with precisely this predicament. — Vinay Kaura, Time, "Strategic Ties Between India and the U.S. Are Growing. But Russia Is a Stumbling Block," 11 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'predicament.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.