'dilemma' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'δίλημμα' (dílēmma), where 'di-' meant 'two' and 'lēmma' meant 'what is taken or premise'.

'dilemma' passed into Late Latin and then Medieval/Modern English from Greek; the term was used in logic and rhetoric in scholarly Latin and entered English usage in the 17th century as 'dilemma'.

Initially, it referred to a logical proposition or argument with two unfavorable alternatives (a double assumption or twofold syllogism), but over time it evolved into the general sense of a difficult choice between two or more undesirable options.