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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  

[trayd-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

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Etymology

Origin of trade-off

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

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Compare meaning

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

• trade-off vs. opportunity cost

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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

Scientists at Lund University have discovered that these competing demands come with a surprising trade-off.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

Here’s the trade-off: If you live well into your 80s, delaying benefits will result in higher lifetime monthly payments.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

He said: "This trade-off is being made because of the faith in the vaccine technology, which to date has offered excellent coverage to livestock in affected areas of the UK."

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

The picturesque Kenyan island of Lamu, a favourite of celebrities, faces a tough trade-off after becoming the construction site for Africa's latest mega-refinery.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 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

Then there’s the conundrum: Consumers trade off more highly valued energy uses against less-valued ones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

But for investors worried about an overconcentration in tech stocks, that trade off might be well worth it.

From Barron's ● May 7, 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

At least 45 minutes every day — trade off between cardio and lifting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2025

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

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

Reza Baqir of Alvarez & Marsal's Sovereign Advisory Services said he has experience with the difficult trade-offs policymakers in low-income countries face in such crises.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

"Our messages indeed apply to most countries, but again, the trade-offs and the choices that have to be made are much more difficult for the most vulnerable countries," Koeva Brooks said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

The rent-versus-buy decision involves real trade-offs that too often go unrecognized, especially by those who can comfortably afford to buy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

As demand for AI grows, who benefits and what are the trade-offs?

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

There’s a strong human tendency to want everything, and to deny that trade-offs are usually necessary.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

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