predicament
noun
pre·dic·a·ment
pri-ˈdi-kə-mənt 
sense 1 is usually ˈpre-di-kə-
1
: the character, status, or classification assigned by a predication
specifically
: category sense 1
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.
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
This is the current predicament of Pahlavi, whose royal charisma has never been more on the line.
—Azadeh Moaveni, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
One thing the two men could agree on was that this whole predicament was Jimmy Buffett’s fault.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
When the host called out DiCaprio as the King of Memes and took the opportunity to make a new one, viewers could spot Ceretti sitting beside the 51-year-old and laughing at her beau's predicament.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
While most of us on the plane were in this same unexpected predicament, a passenger nearby didn't seem to be sharing in our misery thanks to a compact gadget that propped up their phone to the perfect viewing height.
—Annita Katee, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for predicament
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Azadeh Moaveni, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
One thing the two men could agree on was that this whole predicament was Jimmy Buffett’s fault.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
When the host called out DiCaprio as the King of Memes and took the opportunity to make a new one, viewers could spot Ceretti sitting beside the 51-year-old and laughing at her beau's predicament.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
While most of us on the plane were in this same unexpected predicament, a passenger nearby didn't seem to be sharing in our misery thanks to a compact gadget that propped up their phone to the perfect viewing height.
—Annita Katee, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for predicament
Cite this Entry
“Predicament.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predicament. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
predicament
noun
pre·dic·a·ment
pri-ˈdik-ə-mənt
: a difficult, puzzling, or trying situation : fix
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