trade-off

American  

[treyd-awf, -of] / ˈtreɪdˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

Or tradeoff

noun

1. the exchange of one thing for another of more or less equal value, especially to effect a compromise.

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trade-off British  

noun

1. an exchange, esp as a compromise

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trade off Idioms  

1. Exchange one thing for another, especially as a compromise. For example, They were willing to trade off some vacation for the freedom to work flexible hours. This idiom gave rise to tradeoff for “an exchange.” [First half of 1800s]

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Usage

What is a trade-off? A trade-off is an exchange of one thing for another. A trade-off can be literal, involving physical items, like in a lunch trade-off, where you get your friend’s lunch and they get yours.A trade-off can also be figurative, as when you have to stay home because you’re sick but the trade-off is you get to stay in bed all day. In this sense, a trade-off is a kind of compromise.Example: The big trade-off to running a marathon is getting to eat a lot of pasta!

Etymology

Origin of trade-off

First recorded in 1960–65; noun use of verb phrase trade off

Compare meaning

How does trade-off compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• trade-off vs. opportunity cost

Example Sentences

All governments need to know that there is a stark trade-off that comes with fragmentation.

From Barron's

All governments need to know that there is a stark trade-off that comes with fragmentation.

From Barron's

“Now we have to really be in control of our budget,” said Vesga, who believes the trade-off is worth it.

From MarketWatch

“The Snowcap team succeeded in making the engineering trade-offs required to solve these problems and bring this technology to market.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Any campaign should be paired with planning tools, such as retirement income calculators and guidance on claiming trade-offs.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• accommodation
• accord
• adjustment
• arrangement
• bargain
• concession
• deal
• pact
• settlement
• understanding