A dilemma is best defined as

• A. A serious problem
• B. A situation in which a difficult decision must be made
• C. A simple choice
• D. A trivial matter

Answer: (B)

The essential idea here is a situation that requires making a difficult decision. A dilemma isn’t just a problem you need to fix; it specifically involves choosing between options when both sides have significant drawbacks or conflicting pressures. That makes the choice hard and morally or practically challenging.

A serious problem can be tough, but it doesn’t necessarily involve weighing competing options. A simple choice or a trivial matter are easy decisions with little or no weighing of trade-offs, which is what a dilemma centers on.

For example, you might need to decide whether to tell the truth and hurt someone’s feelings or lie to protect them; each option has meaningful consequences. That sense of weighing tough alternatives is what defines a dilemma.