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

These shifts introduce new cost structures, including rising energy consumption and capital intensity, placing CFOs at the center of critical trade-off decisions. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2026

For years, the trade-off for going wire-free was a lack of lift, but engineering has finally caught up to consumer demand. —Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026

The trade-off is the exo’s own mass on the body, but most test users deem the shoulder fatigue reduction well worth it. —Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026

However, increasing cable thickness also adds weight, highlighting a key trade-off for space missions, Donahue said in the statement. —Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 24 Mar. 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