zero-sum
adjective
Did you know?
Does game theory sound like fun? It can be—if you are a mathematician or economist who needs to analyze a competitive situation in which the outcome is determined by the choices of the players and chance. Game theory was introduced by mathematician John von Neumann and economist Oskar Morgenstern in their 1944 book The Theory of Games and Economic Behavior. In game theory, a zero-sum game is one, such as chess or checkers, where each player has a clear purpose that is completely opposed to that of the opponent. In economics, a situation is zero-sum if the gains of one party are exactly balanced by the losses of another and no net gain or loss is created; however, such situations in real life are rare.
Examples of zero-sum in a Sentence
Kathy Brown-Lowe, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
But in the midst of a zero-sum competition, the research suggests that thinking selflessly can boost mood and keep athletes in a positive frame of mind.
—Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Interest-bearing CBDCs shift the competitive dynamics with stablecoins, though not in the zero-sum way some have assumed.
—Sandy Peng, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
And their generation has experienced so many of the worst effects of decades of social fragmentation, economic anxiety, and zero-sum competition for what can feel like ever more limited opportunities for meaning, fulfillment, and recognition.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zero-sum
Cite this Entry
“Zero-sum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zero-sum. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy Citation
