predicament

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: pre=dic=a=ment

CIDE DICTIONARY

predicament, n. [Cf. F. prédicament, L. praedicamentum. See Predicate.].

•  A class or kind described by any definite marks; hence, condition; particular situation or state; especially, an unfortunate or trying position or condition.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  See Category.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Category; condition; state; plight.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

predicament, n.
1 a difficult, unpleasant, or embarrassing situation.
2 Philos. a category in (esp. Aristotelian) logic.

Etymology

ME (in sense 2) f. LL praedicamentum thing predicated: see PREDICATE

DEVIL DICTIONARY

predicament

n. The wage of consistency.

THESAURUS

predicament

adverse circumstances, adversity, affliction, aggravation, annoyance, baffle, bafflement, bearings, bewilderment, bind, blight, blood, bother, box, bracket, branch, breakers ahead, bummer, cardhouse, care, case, case of need, caste, category, cause for alarm, circumstance, clan, class, clutch, complication, condition, confoundment, confusion, corner, crisis, cross, crunch, curse, danger, dangerous ground, deep water, difficulties, difficulty, dilemma, dire necessity, discomposure, disconcert, disconcertedness, disconcertion, disconcertment, disturbance, division, downer, embarrassing position, embarrassment, emergency, endangerment, enigma, estate, exigence, exigency, fine how-do-you-do, fix, footing, gaping chasm, gathering clouds, grade, group, grouping, hard knocks, hard life, hard lot, hardcase, hardship, hazard, head, heading, hell to pay, hobble, hole, hot, hot water, house of cards, how-do-you-do, imbroglio, immediacy, impasse, imperative, imperativeness, imperilment, in a bind, irritation, jam, jeopardy, kin, label, level, location, lot, matter of necessity, menace, mess, mix, modality, mode, morass, mystery, nonplus, order, parlous straits, pass, peril, perplexity, perturbation, pickle, pigeonhole, pinch, place, plight, position, posture, pother, pressingness, pressure, pretty pass, pretty pickle, pretty predicament, problem, puzzle, puzzlement, quagmire, quandary, quicksand, race, rank, rating, riddle, rigor, risk, rocks ahead, rubric, scrape, sea of troubles, section, sept, set, situation, slough, spot, squeeze, standing, state, station, status, stew, sticky wicket, storm clouds, strain, strait, straits, stratum, stress, stress of life, subdivision, subgroup, suborder, swamp, thin ice, threat, tight spot, tight squeeze, tightrope, title, trial, tribulation, tricky spot, trouble, troubles, unassuredness, unholy mess, upset, urgency, urgent need, vale of tears, vicissitude

ROGET THESAURUS

predicament

State

N state, condition, category, estate, lot, ease, trim, mood, pickle, plight, temper, aspect, dilemma, pass, predicament, constitution, habitude, diathesis, frame, fabric, stamp, set, fit, mold, mould, mode, modality, schesis, form, tone, tenor, turn, trim, guise, fashion, light, complexion, style, character, conditional, modal, formal, structural, organic, conditionally, as the matter stands, as things are, such being the case.

Circumstance

N circumstance, situation, phase, position, posture, attitude, place, point, terms, regime, footing, standing, status, occasion, juncture, conjunctive, contingency, predicament, emergence, emergency, exigency, crisis, pinch, pass, push, occurrence, turning point, bearings, how the land lies, surroundings, context, environment, location, contingency, dependence (uncertainty), causation, attribution, circumstantial, given, conditional, provisional, critical, modal, contingent, incidental, adventitious, limitative, in the circumstances, under the circumstances, the circumstances, conditions, thus, in such wise, accordingly, that being the case, such being the case, in view of the circumstances, that being so, sith, since, seeing that, as matters stand, as things go, as times go, conditionally, provided, if, in case, if so, if so be, if it be so, depending on circumstances, in certain circumstances, under certain conditions, if it so happen, if it so turn out, in the event of, in such a contingency, in such a case, in such an event, provisionally, unless, without, according to circumstances, according to the occasion, as it may happen, as it may turn out, as it may be, as the case may be, as the wind blows, pro re nata, yet are my sins not those of circumstance.