zero-sum game

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. a game in which the sum of the winnings and losses of the various players is always zero, the losses being counted negatively.

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zero-sum game British  

noun

1. (in game theory) a contest in which one person's loss is equal to the other person's gain

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zero-sum game Scientific  

1. A game in which the sum of the winnings by all the players is zero. In a zero-sum game, a gain by one player must be matched by a loss by another player. Poker is a zero-sum game if the house does not take a cut as a charge for playing.

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zero-sum game Cultural  

1. A game in which the winnings of some players must equal the losses of the others. Zero-sum games are mentioned in a political context when it is believed that resources are limited, and every decision will produce both winners and losers. In such situations, political decisions will be made on the basis of trade-offs between competing interests.

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Etymology

Origin of zero-sum game

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Huang said this was not a "zero sum game".

From BBC • Sep. 19, 2025

Even worse, daylight saving time isn’t a zero sum game.

From Washington Times • Mar. 15, 2021

“College and university staffs are in a zero sum game in terms of their available bandwidth at this time.”

From New York Times • Jul. 9, 2020

“That, for some reason, it’s a zero sum game, which it’s not.”

From Slate • Jun. 22, 2020

To Dolores, victory in the world beyond Westworld is a zero sum game.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2020