predicament

noun

pre·​dic·​a·​ment pri-ˈdi-kə-mənt How to pronounce predicament (audio)
 sense 1 is usually  ˈpre-di-kə-
Synonyms of predicamentnext
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

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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
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.
Details of their past life emerge in fragments, with flashbacks to a life destroyed by armed conflict, and a sudden, heartbreaking unveiling of their true predicament in the final minutes of the film. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2025 That is a predicament that may force team chairperson Jim Crane to give the green light to some major moves at the July 31 trade deadline. — Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025 The unusual legal predicament comes as lawyers for the Department of Justice are attempting to unseal sensitive grand jury transcripts related to Epstein and meet with Maxwell. — Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 22 July 2025 The irony of his career isn’t lost on Falcon, whose childhood habit of disappearing into nooks and crannies is partially what led to the family’s predicament. — Johnny Dodd, People.com, 15 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for predicament

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin praedicamentum, from praedicare — see predicate entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of predicament was in the 14th century

Rhymes for predicament

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Browse Nearby Words

predicable
predicament
predicamental
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Cite this Entry

“Predicament.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predicament. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.

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Kids Definition

predicament

noun
pre·​dic·​a·​ment pri-ˈdik-ə-mənt How to pronounce predicament (audio)
: a difficult, puzzling, or trying situation : fix

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