double bind

SEE SYNONYMS FOR double bind ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Psychology. a situation in which a person is given conflicting cues, especially by a parent, such that to obey one cue is to disobey the other.
dilemma(def 1).

Origin of double bind

An Americanism dating back to 1955–60

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH double bind

double bind double-blind

Words nearby double bind

double bass, double bassoon, double batten, double bed, double bill, double bind, double blind experiment, double block, double blossom, double bogey, double boiler

Words related to double bind

predicament, impasse, mess, puzzle, quandary, difficulty, embarrassment, problem, plight, box, bind, fix, strait, spot, scrape, jam, mire, perplexity, corner, hole

British Dictionary definitions for double bind

double bind

noun

a situation of conflict from which there is no escape; unresolvable dilemma