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vicious circle

vi·cious cir·cle (plural vi·cious cir·cles) or vi·cious cy·cle


noun 
Definition:
 
1. situation worsened by attempted solutions: a situation in which attempts to solve one problem lead to further problems that only make the original position worse

2. logic reasoning based on unproven assumption: a form of reasoning that bases a conclusion on a statement assumed to be true but not proven independently

3. medicine linking of two diseases: a situation in which two diseases or conditions are linked so that each leads to or aggravates the other


Word Usage
vicious circle or vicious cycle?

Until quite recently the invariable choice was vicious circle. Perhaps influenced by such phrases as the cycle of welfare dependency, however, the variant vicious cycle has been gaining ground, to the point that it is now seen almost as frequently as vicious circle, in virtually indistinguishable contexts.

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