takeaway

American  

[teyk-uh-wey] / ˈteɪk əˌweɪ /

Or take-away

noun

1. something taken back or away, especially an employee benefit that is eliminated or substantially reduced by the terms of a union contract.

2. conclusions, impressions, or action points resulting from a meeting, discussion, roundtable, or the like.

   The takeaway was that we had to do a lot more work on the proposal before it could be shown to the governing board.

3. Chiefly British.

   1. a takeout restaurant.

      Let's pick something up at the Indian takeaway.

   2. food from a takeout restaurant.

      I get Chinese takeaway at least once a week.

4. Sports.

   1. (in hockey and football) the act of getting the puck or ball away from the team on the offense.

      The problem with most hockey statistics is they are not very consistent in how they determine takeaways and giveaways.

   2. (in golf) a backswing.

      I got him a video entitled “Improving the Takeaway in Your Golf Swing” for his birthday.

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adjective

1. of or relating to what is or can be taken away.

   a list of takeaway proposals presented by management.

2. Chiefly British. takeout.

Usage

What does takeaway mean? Takeaway is popularly used to mean the main thing you’ve learned, will remember, or need to take action on after having been presented with information, such as during a meeting or in a report. Take away is a common phrasal verb that’s used in a lot of contexts, and takeaway as a noun has a lot of different meanings. It’s sometimes spelled take-away. In the U. K., takeaway is the word for what Americans call takeout—food picked up from a restaurant to eat elsewhere, typically at home. It can also refer to the restaurant where you get it. In hockey and American football, a takeaway happens when the puck or ball is somehow taken away from the opposing team. Example: The biggest takeaway from the intern meeting was to not post pictures or videos on social media that could reflect badly on the company.

Etymology

Origin of takeaway

1930–35 for earlier sense “train car for carrying logs”; 1960–65 takeaway for def. 5; take + away

Example Sentences

“While the protective model for last night’s event proved effective, the key takeaway for future events is that enhancements should be expected at every level,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

"But I think ultimately my takeaway is that he was a man of secrets," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

The takeaway: the market is accepting that even the dominant and pioneering Nvidia isn’t immune to competition.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Another big takeaway from the Bessembinder paper is that stock-market performance has become a lot more concentrated in recent years, with fewer stocks accounting for the stock market’s total gain.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

I know Babs is usually at Birdie’s no later than seven-thirty for an eight o’clock opening, when they do tea-and-pastry takeaway.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Related Words

• outcome
• result
• upshot