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

Businesses must weigh the trade-offs between in-house development and partnerships to ensure their approach to payment flexibility aligns with their broader objectives. —Ashish Srimal, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024

The trade-off for the cheaper prices comes in slower shipping speeds. —Katie Tarasov,devan Burris, CNBC, 22 Dec. 2024

Yet, these solutions also come with trade-offs, says Georgia Destouni, a professor of hydrology at Stockholm University. —Natalie Donback, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024

Your strategy shouldn't require a trade-off between high performance and robust security, as many CSP solutions only excel in one area at the expense of the other. —Chris McHenry, Forbes, 17 Dec. 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