vicious circle

noun [C] /ˈvɪʃ·əs ˈsɜr·kəl/ (also vicious cycle, /ˈvɪʃ·əs ˈsɑɪ·kəl/)

Definition

› a situation in which one problem causes another one, making the original problem impossible to solve: In a kind of vicious circle, girls did not study science because other girls didn’t study science, even though they were good at it.

(Definition of vicious circle noun from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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