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

"The main takeaway is that Echinococcus multilocularis is here, it's pretty prevalent in the local coyote population and people should be aware of potential risks," Hentati said.

From Science Daily • Jun. 11, 2026

The other takeaway from your golfing experience is relevant to all relationships, whether professional or personal.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

The key takeaway from Wednesday's inspection is that North Korea is ramping up production of nuclear materials to meet growing demand, said Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

What do you want the takeaway of a show like this to be?

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

It’s a mess: washing up piled on the counter and in the sink, empty takeaway cartons spilling out of the bin.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

Related Words

• outcome
• result
• upshot