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• give-and-take
  give-and-take

  noun

  the practice of dealing by compromise or mutual concession; cooperation.
• give and take
  give and take

  The practice of compromise, as in Every contract involves some give and take . This expression was first recorded in 1778, although the verbal idiom, to give and take , was used from the early 1500s.

give-and-take

American  

[giv-uhn-teyk] / ˈgɪv ənˈteɪk /

noun

1. the practice of dealing by compromise or mutual concession; cooperation.

2. good-natured exchange of talk, ideas, etc.

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give-and-take British  

noun

1. mutual concessions, shared benefits, and cooperation

2. a smoothly flowing exchange of ideas and talk

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verb

1. to make mutual concessions

give and take Idioms  

1. The practice of compromise, as in Every contract involves some give and take . This expression was first recorded in 1778, although the verbal idiom, to give and take , was used from the early 1500s.

2. Lively exchange of ideas or conversation, as in The legislature is famous for raucous give and take . [Second half of 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of give-and-take

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

There’s a lesson there, though, in the never-ending give and take between popular folk and commercial pop music.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

“D-I-V-O-R-C-E, you know — it’s always give and take to meet each other’s needs,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2025

“He’s got gas and nuclear and renewables. To understand the give and take of all of those things” is particularly valuable, he adds.

From Barron's • Oct. 17, 2025

Both Qualley and Plaza are totally game, and they both give and take in equal measure, basking in their characters’ pleasure rather than trying to woo the audience.

From Salon • Aug. 23, 2025

With their loose sentence structure and the melodic give and take allowing a team approach to conversation I knew they were Guyanese.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

Related Words

• banter
• reciprocity