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.
Sam and Mary give and take in equal measure, wrapped in a continuum made from red silk.
From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026
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
The ride’s namesake song plays give and take with “Jingle Bells” and seasonal adornments adorably enliven the leisurely boat ride with even more cheer.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 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
He had a tightrope walker’s feel for the land beneath him—its surface tension, the give and take of things.
From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
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.
