Noun
A syllogism with three conditional propositions, the major premises of which are disjunctively affirmed in the minor. See Dilemma.
A state of things in which it is difficult to determine which one of three courses to pursue.
Source: Webster's dictionaryEpicurus Epicurus is generally credited with first expounding the problem of evil, and it is sometimes called the "Epicurean paradox", the "riddle of Epicurus", or the "Epicurian trilemma ": Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Source: Internet
Several new magnetic storage technologies are being developed to overcome or at least abate this trilemma and thereby maintain the competitiveness of HDDs with respect to products such as flash memory -based solid-state drives (SSDs). Source: Internet
Perhaps the earliest expression of the trilemma appears in the writings of the sceptic Sextus Empiricus (160–210 AD), who wrote in his Outlines of Pyrrhonism: Further, this too should be said. Source: Internet
Lactantius attributes this trilemma to Epicurus in De Ira Dei: God, he says, either wishes to take away evils, and is unable; or He is able, and is unwilling; or He is neither willing nor able, or He is both willing and able. Source: Internet
Phrasing that implies two options (dilemma, dichotomy, black-and-white ) may be replaced with other number-based nouns, such as a "false trilemma " ("false trichotomy," etc.) if something is reduced to only three options. Source: Internet