# Catch-22

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌkætʃ ˌtwɛnti ˈtuː/

## Definitions
1. A difficult situation from which there is no escape because it involves mutually conflicting or dependent conditions.

## Etymology
Coined by American author Joseph Heller in 1961 in his novel Catch-22, in which the main character feigns madness in order to avoid dangerous combat missions, but his desire to avoid them is taken to prove his sanity.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/catch-22