Pronunciation: - ˌ twen-t ē - ' tü
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural catch-22's or catch-22s
Usage: often cap
Etymology: from Catch-22, paradoxical rule in the novel Catch-22 (1961) by Joseph Heller
Date: 1971
1 : a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule <the show-business catch-22 no work unless you have an agent, no agent unless you've worked ― Mary Murphy> also : the circumstance or rule that denies a solution
2 a : an illogical, unreasonable, or senseless situation b : a measure or policy whose effect is the opposite of what was intended c : a situation presenting two equally undesirable alternatives
3 : a hidden difficulty or means of entrapment : CATCH