prisoner's dilemma

American

noun

(in game theory) a scenario in which the outcome of one person's decision is determined by the simultaneous decisions of the other participants, resulting in a bad outcome for all of them if all act in their own self-interest.

Etymology

Origin of prisoner's dilemma

From a dilemma in which partners in crime must decide whether to confess, without knowing each other's decision

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

SpaceX could use strategies such as the prisoner’s dilemma, approaching one wireless company to force others to the table.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

“There’s a prisoner’s dilemma going on,” Conger said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Individuals have different motivations and reasons to collaborate, resulting in social dilemmas, such as the well-known prisoner's dilemma.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2024

“It’s the prisoner’s dilemma everyone has been talking about.”

From New York Times • Mar. 21, 2023

This many- party prisoner’s dilemma is useful in modeling situations where the economic value of “intangibles” such as clean water, air, and space is an issue.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023