conundrum

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“
The answer to this conundrum will be ascertained on reading the book.

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Definitions (6)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. noun A riddle in which a fanciful question is answered by a pun.
  2. noun A paradoxical, insoluble, or difficult problem; a dilemma: "the conundrum, thus far unanswered, of achieving full employment without inflation” (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.)

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Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

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Examples (50)

  • "Therefore", the paper maintains, "The most possible solution to the conundrum is a controlled management of the conflict - blocking terrorism, preventing escalation, demanding changes in the Palestinian educational system and media vis-a-vis Israel and the Jews, etc., on the assumption that the future is likely to bring better alternatives". —  Israel Ministry Of Foreign Affairs
  • This is indeed a conundrum, which is all but inevitable with the financial limitations in making independent films. —  SF360
  • The only solution for the Palestinians to this conundrum is the destruction of Israel. —  Israpundit
  • Addressing this conundrum was part of the soul searching that Mac developers did to salvage the Mac OS from itself. —  CRM Buyer
  • The CD is a magnificent and infuriating conundrum, and I love it. —  Touch News
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Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Origin unknown.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Orig. slang, prob. a made word of a pseudo-Latin form, like panjandrum, hocus-pocus, etc. Skeat suggests that it may be a corruption of Latin conandum, a thing to be attempted, neuter ger. of conari, attempt: see conation.
 

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/kəˈnəndrəm/
by American Heritage
by Parker Smith

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