trade-off

noun

ˈtrād-ˌȯf How to pronounce trade-off (audio)
Synonyms of trade-off
1
: a balancing of factors all of which are not attainable at the same time
Governments face a trade-off between privacy and increasing the effectiveness of tax collection.—Ricardo Perez-Truglia and Ugo Troiano
2
: a giving up of one thing in return for another : exchange
trade off transitive verb

Synonyms of trade-off

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Examples of trade-off in a Sentence

a trade-off in which a company got a celebrity spokesperson and a fading star got some much-needed cash
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The only-path-up-is-management structure forces the wrong trade-off and tends to only fill your management ranks with people who chose recognition, not leadership. — Miriam Groom, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026 Everything has unintended consequences, and attempting to capture these trade-offs across the whole ecosystem — much of which sits outside of a brand’s control — would paralyze even the most proactive nature lead. — Bella Webb, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026 Health insurance is expensive because healthcare is expensive – which means that consumers have to make difficult trade-offs. — Helen Levy, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026 If the board won’t make that trade-off, the safety team is left arguing with people whose targets depend on the launch. — Rohan Sharma, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trade-off

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of trade-off was in 1909

Rhymes for trade-off

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Browse Nearby Words

trade name
trade-off
trade on
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Cite this Entry

“Trade-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade-off. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

trade-off

noun
ˈtrād-ˌȯf
1
: a balancing of things all of which cannot be had at the same time
2
: a giving up of one thing in return for another
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