prisoner's dilemma

noun

1. (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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of prisoner's dilemma¹

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

Example Sentences

In psychology, what has happened with car size is known as the prisoner’s dilemma.

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What we’re witnessing is a textbook coordination failure—a form of what political economists call a prisoner’s dilemma.

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Soon after, the Prisoner's Dilemma turned into the central topic in game theory.

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In some cases, it’s a classic prisoner’s dilemma: If firms collectively shift to cleaner energy, a cooler climate benefits everyone more in the future.

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Jail presents a prisoner’s dilemma for Trump.

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