Definition of "trilemma" [tri•lem•ma]

• A circumstance in which a choice must be made between three options that seem equally undesirable. (noun)
• A syllogism containing three alternatives that each infer the same conclusion. (noun)

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• "Perhaps the trilemma is really a single monster where limited access keeps costs high, making us demand (what appears to be) insulation, which helps keep costs high."
• "The trilemma is that we can have at most two out of three."
• "The biggest problem in expanding Medicare is essentially solving what economist Greg Mankiw calls the trilemma, the three problems of health care delivery - cost, access and quality."