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Synonyms

trade-off

American  
[treyd-awf, -of] / ˈtreɪdˌɔf, -ˌɒf /
Or tradeoff

noun

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

trade-off British  

noun

  1. an exchange, esp as a compromise

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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]

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!

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:

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Investors were not happy with that trade-off, and the stock declined 10% the next day.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

“The trade-off is that while you get the recognition, you also have to put up with the periods of rejection,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

But there is a trade-off between the amount of money at issue here and the time and grief trying to get reimbursed could cause you.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

He said there was a "common trade-off between protecting people from harmful content and engagement".

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Also, Dad has accepted that I swear, and I think I’ve convinced him that it’s a fair trade-off.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.