zero-sum

adjective

ze·​ro-sum ˈzir-(ˌ)ō-ˈsəm 

ˈzē-(ˌ)rō-

: of, relating to, or being a situation (such as a game or relationship) in which a gain for one side entails a corresponding loss for the other side

dividing up the budget is a zero-sum game

Did you know?

Does game theory sound like fun? It can be—if you are a mathematician or economist who needs to analyze a competitive situation in which the outcome is determined by the choices of the players and chance. Game theory was introduced by mathematician John von Neumann and economist Oskar Morgenstern in their 1944 book The Theory of Games and Economic Behavior. In game theory, a zero-sum game is one, such as chess or checkers, where each player has a clear purpose that is completely opposed to that of the opponent. In economics, a situation is zero-sum if the gains of one party are exactly balanced by the losses of another and no net gain or loss is created; however, such situations in real life are rare.

Examples of zero-sum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As president, Harris would need to convince the next generation that progress is not a zero-sum game. —Linda Robinson, Foreign Affairs, 31 Oct. 2024

This thinking is rooted in a zero-sum game: more efficiency means more work for the people working and more profit for shareholders. —Nirit Cohen, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

The concerns are comprehensible enough: in the rarefied zero-sum world of elite American education, is the use of lotteries or personality scores for admissions not discriminatory toward Asian students who must be better than best in their efforts—when their efforts have any bearing at all? —Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024

Investing in your workforce within a culture of continuous learning is not a zero-sum game. —Bijal Shah, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

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