predicament
B2/C1Formal to neutral. More common in writing and educated speech.
Definition
Meaning
A difficult, unpleasant, or embarrassing situation that is hard to escape from.
A state of affairs, especially one where difficult choices must be made between unsatisfactory alternatives; a philosophical term for a category of being.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a sense of being 'caught' or 'trapped' by circumstances. It is a stronger word than 'problem' or 'situation', but not as severe as 'crisis' or 'catastrophe'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Standard in both varieties.
Connotations
Often implies an element of complexity or entanglement, not just a simple problem.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in British English formal writing, but common in both.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be in a predicamentfind oneself in a predicamentget into a predicamentget out of a predicamentsolve the predicament ofVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to be in a fine pickle (synonymous idiom)”
- “between a rock and a hard place (similar concept)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Describing a company's difficult financial or strategic position, e.g., 'The merger left them in a legal predicament.'
Academic
Used in philosophy (Aristotelian categories) and literary analysis to discuss a character's constrained situation.
Everyday
Describing personal, often social or practical, troubles, e.g., 'I'm in a bit of a predicament—I locked my keys in the car.'
Technical
Rare. Occasionally in law or ethics to describe a problematic legal or moral position.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A - 'predicament' is not a verb.
American English
- N/A - 'predicament' is not a verb.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A - 'predicament' is not an adjective. The related adjective is 'predicamental' (extremely rare).
American English
- N/A - 'predicament' is not an adjective. The related adjective is 'predicamental' (extremely rare).
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He was in a predicament when he lost his bus ticket.
- Not having a passport put her in a real predicament at the airport.
- The government's new policy has created an economic predicament for many small businesses.
- The ethical predicament posed by the new technology left the committee deadlocked for hours.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a cat stuck in a tree (a PREDICATement). The cat can't decide whether to stay scared or risk the climb down. It's in a difficult, stuck situation.
Conceptual Metaphor
A PREDICAMENT IS A TRAP / A PREDICAMENT IS A MAZE (you are lost and need to find a way out).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as 'предсказание' (predskazanie - 'prediction'). This is a false friend.
- Closer translations are 'затруднительное положение' (zatrudnitel'noye polozheniye) or 'дилемма' (dilemma).
Common Mistakes
- Mispronouncing as /ˈpredɪkəmənt/ (stress on first syllable).
- Confusing with 'predicate' (grammatical term).
- Using it for minor inconveniences (overuse).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following situations best describes a 'predicament'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral-to-formal. It's fine in everyday speech, but 'sticky situation' or 'tight spot' are more informal alternatives.
A 'dilemma' specifically implies a choice between two (often equally bad) options. A 'predicament' is a broader difficult situation, which may or may not involve a clear binary choice.
Almost never. Its core meaning is inherently negative, describing an unpleasant or problematic situation.
It comes from Late Latin 'praedicamentum' meaning 'something declared' or 'category' (from Aristotle's logic), which evolved to mean 'a class or category' and then 'a tricky situation to be classed in'.
Collections
Part of a collection
High-Level Idiomatic Expressions
C2 · 45 words · Sophisticated idiomatic and nuanced vocabulary.