Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

faustian dilemma

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.06 in modern English

Syllables: faus-tian dilem-ma
IPA

23

Scrabble Score

15

Letters

3

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Having to choose between an option that promises short-term gain with foreseeable adverse long-term consequences, and an alternative option with no short-term gain and possibly even short-term suffering, but promising an eventually better future than the first option.

Example Sentences

"I find that many people see sustainability as a version of a Faustian dilemma; they often knowingly make choices that have immediate personal benefits, but in the long run are disastrous for all of us."

Inflected Forms

Faustian dilemmas (plural)

Phrases

Faustian bargain

Frequently Paired Words

Faustian bargain

Questions

What does faustian dilemma mean?: Having to choose between an option that promises short-term gain with foreseeable adverse long-term consequences, and an alternative option with no short-term gain and possibly even short-term suffering, but promising an eventually better future than the first option.

How to pronounce faustian dilemma

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