Also known as a vicious cycle - two or more conditions require the other conditions to be fulfilled, but these other conditions also require the original condition to be fulfilled. In simple terms, this means neither can get fulfilled without the other. A needs B needs A.
So I need a key to open this door, and the key is beyond that same door? Damn, this is one big Catch 22.
by Fluid August 27, 2003
Get the Catch 22 mug.A requirement that cannot be met until a prerequisite requirement is met, however, the prerequisite cannot be obtained until the original requirement is met.
by Catch 22 June 4, 2003
Get the Catch 22 mug.Related Words
by you think? March 19, 2005
Get the catch 22 mug.Catch-22 is a famous anti-war novel written by Joseph Heller. In the book, a catch-22 refers to the law that allows soldiers to raid an Italian whorehouse. The very same law that gives them the right to make this intrusion also entitles them to conceal why they are raiding it in a first place, so the proprieter can never find out why it happened. This is compared to an earlier reference in the book, where a military policy requires that soldiers can only be discharged for insanity if they are both insane and ask for discharge. However, asking for discharge if you are insane is a sane act, so you cannot be insane. Therefore, getting a discharge for insanity is actually impossible.
A catch-22 is commonly misperceived to be a situation wherein both options are seen to have negative consequences. That situation is actually called a double-edged sword. A catch-22, as in the examples above, is a situation wherein the solution to a problem is impossible given the very nature of the problem.
A catch-22 is commonly misperceived to be a situation wherein both options are seen to have negative consequences. That situation is actually called a double-edged sword. A catch-22, as in the examples above, is a situation wherein the solution to a problem is impossible given the very nature of the problem.
My university has asked me to transfer because they expel anyone with a GPA under a 2.0, yet I cannot transfer because no other college will take an applicant with less than a 2.0! This policy is such a catch-22!
by LastGrammarian March 21, 2007
Get the catch-22 mug.quite the predicament, where objective 1 cannot be obtained without the completion of objective 2, which cannot be obtained without objective 1, because of a set of often incoherent rules or laws
a catch 22:
what would happen if you went back in time to kill your grandfather?
if you were to do so, logic would state that you would not exist to go back in time and kill your grandfather, therefore you would exist because you would not be able to kill him, however you would exist only to kill your grandfather, in which case you would not exist
what would happen if you went back in time to kill your grandfather?
if you were to do so, logic would state that you would not exist to go back in time and kill your grandfather, therefore you would exist because you would not be able to kill him, however you would exist only to kill your grandfather, in which case you would not exist
by CSS December 28, 2005
Get the catch 22 mug.And then she was all like: "How could you treat me like that... I'm a woman!"
Feminist Catch-22, amrite?
Feminist Catch-22, amrite?
by mypseudonymisyourpseudonym April 1, 2016
Get the Feminist Catch-22 mug.Where it's early in "no shave November" and you have to take pictures. You either keep the hair and look like a pubescent boy in the pictures, or shave it off and break the man code.
Man 1: Ah, man! I have to take wedding pics this weekend. I need to cut this peach fuzz off!
Man 2: Bro, it's no shave November. You can't do this.
Man 1: I'm in a hairy catch 22!
Man 2: Bro, it's no shave November. You can't do this.
Man 1: I'm in a hairy catch 22!
by bunshi November 6, 2013
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