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Definition catch-22 situation in British English

catch-22 situation noun

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

From the title of a novel by the US writer Joseph Heller, first published in 1962. The novel is about a group of people in the US 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
crisis battle nightmare
Definition catch-22 situation in British English