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Region: General | Usage example: Needing experience for the job when no one hires without experience is a catch-22.

Catch-22

Meaning

A paradoxical situation where escape depends on the condition you cannot meet.

Usage

Used to describe unsolvable bureaucratic dilemmas.

Origin & History

Origin notes can vary by region and source; this page gives the commonly reported explanation and usage context.

Title of Joseph Heller's 1961 novel depicting absurd rules.

Has entered English as shorthand for circular reasoning since the novel.

Related Idioms

Bite the bullet

Accept an unpleasant task or situation that cannot be avoided.

Dead water

A situation where motion is resisted by hidden forces.

Zero-sum game

A situation where one gain equals another's loss.

More Idioms

Break the ice

To do or say something to relieve tension or get conversation going in a social situation.

Cut to the chase

Skip ahead to the most important or exciting part of something.

The ball is in your court

It is now your turn to take action or make a decision.

Throw in the towel

To concede defeat or admit a struggle isn't worth continuing.