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. (Such situations are rare.)
Examples of zero-sum in a Sentence
Charles Homans Gabra Zackman Anna Diamond Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 29 May 2024
Liberty and justice teach that politics should not be a zero-sum game, i.e., what one side gains the other side loses.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2024
Aim for a zero-sum spending plan, where every dollar earned is assigned a role, whether that is savings, bills, or wants.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2024
They’re based on a simple mathematical formula that works just as well for any one-on-one, zero-sum competition—which is to say, pretty much all sports.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2024
Newsletter Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
In evolution, competition is thought to be a zero-sum game.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024
Most of the news coverage has explained the shift as an unavoidable sacrifice for Native rights and sensibilities, a zero-sum game in which museum-goers and school field trips are the necessary losers.
—Kathleen Duval, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
This is a power-struggle narrative, a zero-sum game.
—Lindsay Zoladz, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
But Finger described their efforts as a zero-sum game.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zero-sum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near zero-sum
Cite this Entry
“Zero-sum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zero-sum. Accessed 7 Jun. 2024.
Copy Citation
Share