What's the difference between dilemma and enigma?

Dilemma


Definition:

  • (n.) An argument which presents an antagonist with two or more alternatives, but is equally conclusive against him, whichever alternative he chooses.
  • (n.) A state of things in which evils or obstacles present themselves on every side, and it is difficult to determine what course to pursue; a vexatious alternative or predicament; a difficult choice or position.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The following case highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas encountered in a middle-aged patient who presented with dementia and apathetic hyperthyroidism.
  • (2) The dilemmas faced by the genetic counsellor are discussed in this variable autosomal dominant condition.
  • (3) Dilemmas of trust, confidentiality, and professional competence highlight the limits of professional ethical codes.
  • (4) When faced with a big dilemma, the time-honoured tradition of politicians is to order an inquiry, and that is what Browne expects.
  • (5) This paper raises other issues for consideration, including problems associated with HIV testing, confidentiality, informed consent and the dilemmas facing those involved in the treatment of patients suffering from HIV infection.
  • (6) Various forms of inactive data storage and archiving in machine-readable form are available to address this dilemma, yet these solutions can create even more difficult problems.
  • (7) For Bush Sr, the dilemma is all the more agonising as some of the White House advisers he now criticises are former employees he bequeathed to his son.
  • (8) The patient with a cholesteatoma in an only hearing ear presents a management dilemma: how best to treat the patient to minimize the chances of developing a severe hearing loss in that ear.
  • (9) The dilemma focuses on whether the obliteration or removal of the cystic areas will benefit or cause further deterioration of the patient's condition.
  • (10) when a family is in conflict often creates a serious ethical dilemma for the family physician.
  • (11) Respondents did not deal with the simulated ethical problems in a uniform manner and often tended to respond more to specific details of a case rather than the overall ethical dilemma posed.
  • (12) This article examines AIDS- and HIV-related concerns in women with a focus on the personal dilemmas for the practicing psychologist, problems in health behavior advocacy, and methods and pitfalls in modifying sexual behaviors.
  • (13) Because many of these issues are unresolved, it is important for health professionals to be aware of current professional standards and guidelines, as well as to consult with the hospital's attorney or risk manager when confronted with a legal or ethical dilemma.
  • (14) These dilemmas were often "caused" by other group members (general practitioners or nurses), e.g., by not keeping appointment times or by not sharing information with patients.
  • (15) Solitary abnormalities on bone scan or chest film serve as an excellent examples of this dilemma.
  • (16) Corbyn’s ‘new politics’ is neither hateful nor pure: it’s complicated | John Harris Read more Their dilemma is plain: if they make a stand against what is happening, they stand accused of disloyalty by Corbyn’s supporters; but if they go along with it, they are complicit in Labour’s probable disintegration when voters realise the party has been taken over by people they can never vote for.
  • (17) Four cases of right lower quadrant abscess, each a clinical diagnostic dilemma, were recognized as abscesses surrounding a perforated viscus by application of the "coffee bean" sign on sonographic examination.
  • (18) This dilemma is aggravated by the loss from the work force of graduate nurses who fail the registered nurse licensure examination.
  • (19) Diagnosis of cecal diverticulitis remains a dilemma.
  • (20) This paper considers the dilemmas and tensions as reported, and on that basis certain policy issues are tabulated and presented.

Enigma


Definition:

  • (n.) A dark, obscure, or inexplicable saying; a riddle; a statement, the hidden meaning of which is to be discovered or guessed.
  • (n.) An action, mode of action, or thing, which cannot be satisfactorily explained; a puzzle; as, his conduct is an enigma.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The nature of the putative autoantigen in Graves' ophthalmopathy (Go) remains an enigma but the sequence similarity between thyroglobulin (Tg) and acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) provides a rationale for epitopes which are common to the thyroid gland and the eye orbit.
  • (2) The role of growth hormone (GH) and the related placental lactogens in implantation and subsequent embryonic and fetal development is an enigma.
  • (3) The exact association between psoriasis and arthritis remains an enigma.
  • (4) And then there is the great enigma of that involuntary separation inflicted by the death of those without whom we would never have wanted to live.
  • (5) An apparent enigma during platelet aggregation is that increased glycogenolysis occurs despite a fall in cyclic AMP levels; Activation by a classical cascade is therefore unlikely, and an alternative stimulus for phosphorylase a formation was sought.
  • (6) This triad is currently an enigma in the field of internal medicine.
  • (7) Rectal carcinoma remains an enigma to surgical and medical oncologists.
  • (8) Most of the known central actions of angiotensin II, for example the regulation of blood pressure and of electrolyte and water balance, seem to be mediated by the AT1 receptor, while the role of the AT2 receptor is still an enigma.
  • (9) What they say "You are an enigma wrapped in a riddle nestled in a sesame seed bun of mystery" – Stephen Colbert
  • (10) We believe that the "missing pathway" for factor XI activation remains an enigma that warrants further investigation.
  • (11) He, of course, disclaimed his commitment, telling an American admirer that he was "a person who prefers life to art, and who knows it is a far finer thing to be in love…" The record of his creativity suggests the opposite, only adding to the aura of enigma that still surrounds him.
  • (12) Against this background the present study was performed, and it has been shown that the resolution to the enigma is that there are two different populations of bipolar cells in the rat visual cortex.
  • (13) The biologic background to the clinical behavior of these metastasizing tumors remains an enigma.
  • (14) The author argues that the similarity of the Bushman trance state, kia and that of drug-induced altered states of consciousness has been paid too little attention in the research, and that an enigma currently exists with regard to the degree to which plant drugs may have influenced the !Kung trance phenomenon and healing beliefs.
  • (15) In many ways the problem of diaphragmatic hernia is as much of an enigma to today's physician-scientist as it was to Bochdalek in the nineteenth century.
  • (16) The treatment of keloids continues to be an enigma to the surgeon and the patient as well.
  • (17) And we need to declare war on them.” The rhetoric injected renewed urgency into the effort to unlock the enigma of a couple who had lived quietly and privately with their six-month-old daughter.
  • (18) Facial palsy is a distressing nonfatal disorder that creates an emotional crisis for the patient and often a therapeutic enigma for the physician.
  • (19) The function of the third one called the tissue type is still an enigma.
  • (20) A variety of pharmacologic manipulations were employed to help solve this enigma.