trade-off

noun

ˈtrād-ˌȯf 

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

• exchange

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

Tether defends the short delay as a necessary trade-off for responsible responsiveness in a large ecosystem, rejecting claims of a loophole. — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026

From a warm bowl of oatmeal to crunchy granola and grab-and-go snack bars, oats show up in many forms, each with its own health trade-offs. — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 7 Aug. 2026

Risks and Side Effects of Tylenol With Naproxen The convenience comes with a trade-off. — Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 6 Aug. 2026

This creates a bunch of trade-offs that can be difficult to optimize. — ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for trade-off

• cerenkov
• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff

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