trade-off

noun

ˈtrād-ˌȯf 

1

: a balancing of factors all of which are not attainable at the same time

the education versus experience trade-off which governs personnel practices

—H. S. White

2

: a giving up of one thing in return for another : exchange

trade off transitive verb

Synonyms

• back-and-forth
• barter
• commutation
• dicker
• exchange
• quid pro quo
• swap
• trade
• truck

Examples of trade-off in a Sentence

a trade-off in which a company got a celebrity spokesperson and a fading star got some much-needed cash

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s always been a trade-off with the platform’s ability to narrow the distance between activists and people in positions of power. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024

This relationship and flexibility can be trade-offs for a borrower who is frustrated dealing with large legacy banking organizations. —Christian Faes, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

China By Keith Bradsher A trade-off centers on two issues: tariffs and Taiwan. —New York Times, 3 Nov. 2024

That's another kind of trade-off that people making detection technology have to be very mindful of. —Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

trade-off

noun

ˈtrād-ˌȯf

1

: a balancing of things all of which cannot be had at the same time

2

: a giving up of one thing in return for another