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• trade-off
  trade-off

  noun

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

  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]

trade-off

American  

[treyd-awf, -of] / ˈtreɪdˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

Or tradeoff

noun

• trade-offs
  plural

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

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trade-off British  

noun

1. an exchange, esp as a compromise

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trade off Idioms  

1. 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]

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Usage

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!

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• trade-offs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of trade-off

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

Compare meaning

How does trade-off compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• trade-off vs. opportunity cost

Explanation

A trade-off is a kind of compromise that involves giving up something in return for getting something else. When looking you for an after-school job, you might have to make a trade-off: a lower hourly wage for a more convenient location, for example. There are all kinds of trade-offs: one trade-off might be buying a new laptop that's very lightweight and portable but doesn't have as much memory as you wish it had. In economics, a trade-off is defined as an "opportunity cost." For example, you might take a day off work to go to a concert, gaining the opportunity of seeing your favorite band, while losing a day's wages as the cost for that opportunity.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trade-off trade off trade-offs

That creates a basic trade-off between nucleation, the initial formation of droplets, and droplet mobility.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

This trade-off almost always falls on the side of maximizing your reach and volume.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026

Langley told a TED audience in April that the misuse of the company’s technology was “a trade-off I can make” compared to the number of investigations he said it assists with.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

Kirkcaldy said in some cases it can be "a trade-off that nobody should have to make between your health and whether you eat."

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

The trade-off was that the highway route was so much longer that choosing it would greatly increase our chances of a forced touchdown.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Moving the softball and canoe slalom events outside of Southern California is a trade off though.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026

To investigate whether this trade off was unavoidable, the Cambridge researchers intentionally created what they expected to be a poorly performing system.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 6, 2026

Speaking in the Commons after the arrests, security minister Dan Jarvis said the UK would not "trade off security for economic access".

From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026

That is a trade off the company is willing to make as it expects its bet on safety to pay off in the long run as users start having better interactions on their apps.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025

“We’ll trade off, you, then me, then you, then me. Then we’ll do the other side.”

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

But these tires are more expensive and come with real-world trade-offs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

Ava-Grace says her caring responsibilities have demanded a number of trade-offs over the years.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

As Friedrich Hayek emphasized, prices communicate information and make trade-offs visible.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

She’s also opening up a broader conversation about the choices and trade-offs adults have to make when it comes to love, life, work, and family.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

It's all bad trade-offs these days, unless, like me, you know how to mostly end up on the profitable side of things.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

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