1
: a balancing of factors all of which are not attainable at the same time
the education versus experience trade-off which governs personnel practices—
H. S. White
H. S. White2
: a giving up of one thing in return for another : exchange
trade off
transitive verb
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
Many users aren’t interested in a touch screen for general computing, so the reflection annoyances aren’t worth the trade-off to plenty of shoppers.
—Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 16 May 2025
Speed, security and stability don’t have to be trade-offs.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Choosing a landing site involves complex trade-offs between scientific interest, terrain safety and Sun exposure.
—Zhenbo Wang, The Conversation, 16 May 2025
Home climate control often comes with trade-offs: a second-floor bedroom that stays five degrees warmer than the rest of the house, rising electricity costs during peak summer months, or the high cost of installing central air conditioning.
—Jon Stojan, USA Today, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
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Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 16 May 2025
Speed, security and stability don’t have to be trade-offs.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Choosing a landing site involves complex trade-offs between scientific interest, terrain safety and Sun exposure.
—Zhenbo Wang, The Conversation, 16 May 2025
Home climate control often comes with trade-offs: a second-floor bedroom that stays five degrees warmer than the rest of the house, rising electricity costs during peak summer months, or the high cost of installing central air conditioning.
—Jon Stojan, USA Today, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for trade-off
Cite this Entry
“Trade-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade-off. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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