zero-sum

[ zeer-oh-suhm ]

/ ˈzɪər oʊˌsʌm /

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adjective

of or denoting a system in which the sum of the gains equals the sum of the losses: a zero-sum economy.

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of zero-sum

First recorded in 1955–60

Words nearby zero-sum

zero-point energy, zero population growth, zero-rate, zero-rated, zero stage, zero-sum, zero-sum game, zeroth, zeroth law of thermodynamics, zero tillage, zero tolerance

How to use zero-sum in a sentence

Not quite, but at one point the temperature registered 29 below zero, with 21 inches of snow.
Speed Read: The Juiciest Bits From the History of ‘Purple Rain’|Jennie Yabroff|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The longer someone stays well, the lower their chance of relapsing, although that possibility never becomes zero.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder|Carrie Arnold|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Is it True that “Gays vs. Traditionalists are a Zero-Sum Game”?
Do LGBTs Owe Christians an Olive Branch? Try The Other Way Around|Jay Michaelson|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Islamic State brought “peace, autonomy, zero corruption, low crime-rate,” he Tweeted last month.
The Scared Widdle Kitty of ISIS|Jacob Siegel|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Willima and Kate raised a similar sum at a private dinner for just 30 philanthropists on Sunday night.
Kate and William's Glamorous $2m New York Send Off|Tom Sykes|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was such a magnificent sum that Sol did not feel like taking the familiarity with it of mentioning it aloud.
The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden
Of which the sum is that all the parties to the case are evidently, for the time being, Protestants!
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 107, November 3, 1894|Various
I've tried to teach lots of folks; an' sum learns quick, an' some don't never learn; it's jest 's 't strikes 'em.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
But the day he planned to start was very cold—the mercury stood twenty-seven below zero.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
The King now increased it to the enormous sum of two shilling and ten pence.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.