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• trade-off
  trade-off

  noun

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

  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]

trade-off

American  

[treyd-awf, -of] / ˈtreɪdˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

Or tradeoff

noun

• trade-offs
  plural

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!

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• trade-offs
  plural

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

Explanation

A trade-off is a kind of compromise that involves giving up something in return for getting something else. When looking you for an after-school job, you might have to make a trade-off: a lower hourly wage for a more convenient location, for example. There are all kinds of trade-offs: one trade-off might be buying a new laptop that's very lightweight and portable but doesn't have as much memory as you wish it had. In economics, a trade-off is defined as an "opportunity cost." For example, you might take a day off work to go to a concert, gaining the opportunity of seeing your favorite band, while losing a day's wages as the cost for that opportunity.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trade-off trade off trade-offs

Langley told a TED audience in April that the misuse of the company’s technology was “a trade-off I can make” compared to the number of investigations he said it assists with.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

He was paid partly in stock - a common trade-off at start-ups as a hiring incentive.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

There’s a trade-off: We experience a little emotional discomfort by being constantly surveilled, but we are rewarded with the more physical comforts of safety and efficiency.

From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026

A supply shock would create the worst kind of trade-off for Warsh and the Fed.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Also, Dad has accepted that I swear, and I think I’ve convinced him that it’s a fair trade-off.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

But for investors worried about an overconcentration in tech stocks, that trade off might be well worth it.

From Barron's ● May 7, 2026

To investigate whether this trade off was unavoidable, the Cambridge researchers intentionally created what they expected to be a poorly performing system.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 6, 2026

Speaking in the Commons after the arrests, security minister Dan Jarvis said the UK would not "trade off security for economic access".

From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026

Although Ward’s decision ensured the federal government would assume the bulk of disaster costs, it came with a major trade off.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 16, 2026

“We’ll trade off, you, then me, then you, then me. Then we’ll do the other side.”

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

That makes adulthood feel less like independence and more like an abrupt transition into a harsh world of trade-offs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

She’s also opening up a broader conversation about the choices and trade-offs adults have to make when it comes to love, life, work, and family.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

“When we expose people to these trade-offs, they make really good decisions. They don’t say, I’m going to blow it all,” Mecham said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

The leaders of Anthropic and OpenAI have responded with broad support for open models but added that there are trade-offs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

The Strategic Defense Initiative brings thoughts of destruction and salvation, and even here the notion of trade-offs can play a useful role.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Related Words

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