trade-off

Or trade·off

[treyd-awf, -of]

noun

1. the exchange of one thing for another of more or less equal value, especially to effect a compromise.

trade-off

noun

1. an exchange, esp as a compromise

Word History and Origins

Origin of trade off¹

First recorded in 1960–65; noun use of verb phrase trade off

Idioms and Phrases

Exchange one thing for another, especially as a compromise. For example, They were willing to trade off some vacation for the freedom to work flexible hours. This idiom gave rise to tradeoff for “an exchange.” [First half of 1800s]

Related Words

• accommodation 
• accord 
• adjustment 
• arrangement 
• bargain 
• concession 
• deal 
• pact 
• settlement 
• understanding 

When To Use

What is a trade-off?

A trade-off is an exchange of one thing for another. A trade-off can be literal, involving physical items, like in a lunch trade-off, where you get your friend’s lunch and they get yours.A trade-off can also be figurative, as when you have to stay home because you’re sick but the trade-off is you get to stay in bed all day. In this sense, a trade-off is a kind of compromise.Example: The big trade-off to running a marathon is getting to eat a lot of pasta!