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.
the practice of dealing by compromise or mutual concession; cooperation.
good-natured exchange of talk, ideas, etc.
mutual concessions, shared benefits, and cooperation
a smoothly flowing exchange of ideas and talk
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.
Lively exchange of ideas or conversation, as in The legislature is famous for raucous give and take . [Second half of 1800s]
First recorded in 1760–70
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The give-and-take over bringing state workers into the office is playing out as public agencies take different approaches to remote work since the pandemic.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026
The European Union, with its cumbersome culture of consensus-building and give-and-take, was the most elaborate expression of that political way of life.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026
Whatever the reason, it’s a shame that one of the couple’s final collaborative works — a very sweet and realistic tale of give-and-take — is all but missing from the documentary about their relationship.
From Salon • Oct. 18, 2025
That will give time for a lot of give-and-take, Amin said, particularly over the area of the future of fossil fuels, “where there’s going to be a very intensive engagement process.”
From Seattle Times • Dec. 5, 2023
I saw Malcolm X too many times exhilarated in after-lecture give-and-take with predominantly white student bodies at colleges and universities to ever believe that he nurtured at his core any blanket white-hatied.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
