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

One trade-off of making a sauna feel like a display case is that the glass surface shows fingerprints immediately. — Evan Russum, Architectural Digest, 22 Aug. 2026

Goals must be defined, trade-offs evaluated and success measured appropriately. — Alex Shahidi, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Threats with wind energy The trade-offs surrounding solar deployment are part of a broader challenge across the renewable energy sector, where decarbonization efforts often clash with local ecosystem health. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026

Langer says his journey required some trade-offs, but advises young professionals to stay on course to lead a fulfilling career like his own. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 20 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