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.
Roberts offers more give and take in negotiations than other executives and was directly involved in discussions about Comcast’s cloud deal, Jassy said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
I think it's a respect thing as much as anything and I'll give and take that.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
The internal CalOES memo alludes to this give and take: “Funds saved initially by skipping testing may be outweighed by later unseen costs, for example, reinvesting in remediation, addressing community complaints, litigation, or cleanup failure.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2026
“The give and take between reporters and our staff in that room during the Clinton years helped shape policy for the better,” he told me.
From Salon • Nov. 7, 2025
This may be what he wants: a give and take, of sorts.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
