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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

See Examples For:

give-and-take give and take

Pacific security researcher Maima Koro said typical notions of give-and-take diplomacy missed the point.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

Every member of this cast holds their own, granted, but Morgan and Radcliffe’s onscreen give-and-take earns Arthur’s slow, steady acceptance into Reggie’s weird, lovely family dynamic.

From Salon ● Jun. 20, 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

It’s this beautiful give-and-take of a group of friends because life just doesn’t stop life-ing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2025

The give-and-take of language is something like warfare.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

But Meg is a true comedian in that she understands not only how to improvise within the lane of the scene, but also the give and take.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Then, on a hot D.C. morning, usually in June, extremely consequential opinions pop up on the court’s website that give and take the rights of millions of Americans.

From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2026

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

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

This may be what he wants: a give and take, of sorts.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• banter
• reciprocity