vicious circle
The term "vicious circle" describes a self-perpetuating cycle of negative events or problems that reinforce each other, making the situation increasingly difficult to resolve.
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Definition
B2General
(common)A chain of negative events where each problem worsens the next, making it hard to break the cycle.
Example
- The poverty cycle is a classic example of a vicious circle where lack of education leads to poor job prospects, perpetuating poverty.
C1Logic
(technical, academic)A logical fallacy where the premise is used to prove the conclusion, which in turn is used to prove the premise.
Example
- Claiming that someone is trustworthy because they always tell the truth is a vicious circle in logic.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "vicious circle":