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Definition catch-22 situation in American English

catch-22 situation noun

[countable] noun
/ˌkætʃ twentiˈtu ˌsɪtʃueɪʃ(ə)n/

From the title of a novel by the U.S. writer Joseph Heller, first published in 1962. The novel is about a group of people in the U.S. air force who find themselves in a number of funny situations caused by silly military rules.

1

a set of problems that is impossible to escape from because each problem must be solved first before you can solve any of the others

Synonyms and related words
Definition catch-22 situation in American English