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Definition of predicament
1 : the character, status, or classification assigned by a predication; specifically : category 1
2 : condition, state; especially : a difficult, perplexing, or trying situation
From the M-W Editors
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 of predicament from the Web
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Wimbledon, one of the most prominent tennis tournaments in the world, was faced with a predicament today: A massive swarm of flying ants infiltrated the courts, wreaking havoc on the players, umpires, and spectators.
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Speaking to a friendly crowd in Elizabethtown during a fundraiser for the Republican Party of Hardin County, McConnell compared his current predicament to holding a Rubik’s cube.
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Back in 2001, a story in the Washington Post offered details on the scope of the persistent geological predicament: The Metro subway is one of the deepest in the world, with all tunnels and underground stations at or below the water table.
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The White House is looking to the House to help it out of the predicament by softening the bill.
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That leaves the Philadelphia Flyers, no strangers to goaltending predicaments, as the only potential playoff contender in search of a starter.
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The SPD’s dilemma, heightened by its working relationship with the conservatives, reflects a predicament facing other left-leaning parties caught between centrist impulses and their base.
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The timing of the U.S. Open Cup places its participants in somewhat of a predicament.
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Her predicament has shined a light on the advantages of home surveillance systems, said Commander Tony Farrell, with the Orland Park Police.
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.
Origin and Etymology of predicament
Middle English, from Late Latin praedicamentum, from praedicare —see 2predicate
PREDICAMENT Defined for English Language Learners
predicament
playDefinition of predicament for English Language Learners
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: a difficult or unpleasant situation
PREDICAMENT Defined for Kids
predicament
playDefinition of predicament for Students
: a bad situation
Learn More about predicament
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for predicament Spanish Central: Translation of predicament Nglish: Translation of predicament for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of predicament for Arabic speakers
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