trade-off

or trade·off

[ treyd-awf, -of ]

noun

1. the exchange of one thing for another of more or less equal value, especially to effect a compromise.

trade-off

noun

1. an exchange, esp as a compromise

Word History and Origins

Origin of trade-off¹

First recorded in 1960–65; noun use of verb phrase trade off

Idioms and Phrases

Exchange one thing for another, especially as a compromise. For example, They were willing to trade off some vacation for the freedom to work flexible hours . This idiom gave rise to tradeoff for “an exchange.” [First half of 1800s]

Example Sentences

"In each plant, decisions need to be made based on the specific location and the resources available. It's all about trade-offs."

From Science Daily

The prime minister said the time was "long overdue for Westminster politicians to level with people, honestly, about the trade-offs that Britain faces".

From BBC

But a department insider rejects that characterisation, and says: “No one doubts the issue is huge, but any solution is expensive – everything is a trade-off.”

From BBC

"It also helps decision makers to consider the inherent trade-offs when dealing with systems that extend across social, environment and economic domains."

From Science Daily

The trade-off between the risks and benefits of being tested is “very nuanced, very personal”, Prof Ahmed says, and what is acceptable to one man will be unacceptable to another.

From BBC

Related Words

• arbitrate
• intercede
• interfere
• intervene
• negotiate
• resolve

More About Trade-off

What is a trade-off?

A trade-off is an exchange of one thing for another. A trade-off can be literal, involving physical items, like in a lunch trade-off, where you get your friend’s lunch and they get yours.

A trade-off can also be figurative, as when you have to stay home because you’re sick but the trade-off is you get to stay in bed all day. In this sense, a trade-off is a kind of compromise.

Example: The big trade-off to running a marathon is getting to eat a lot of pasta!

Where does trade-off come from?

The first records of the term trade-off come from around 1960. It is a noun form of the verb phrase trade off, which means to exchange one thing for another, usually as a compromise.

A trade-off is often performed to create a compromise. For example, you might give someone something you’d rather keep in exchange to form a relationship or obtain a service. Sometimes trade-off is used to describe a quick exchange that may or may not be suspicious.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to trade-off?

• tradeoff (alternative spelling)

What are some synonyms for trade-off?

• agreement
• arrangement
• compromise
• deal
• exchange

What are some words that share a root or word element with trade-off? 

• trade
• off

What are some words that often get used in discussing trade-off?

• compensation
• compromise
• exchange
• goods
• payment

How is trade-off used in real life?

Trade-off is a common way to describe a compromise.

Almost a month since I quit my job, one month without a salary. I probably earned 1/2 my salary through independent work but I felt I was happier as I got to spend more time with friends, family, travel or do things I genuinely love. Guess it's a good trade-off? Or is it not?

— Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) November 27, 2019

Twitter limit is going to 280 characters, so can we make email go to 140 as a trade-off?

— George Couros (@gcouros) September 28, 2017

Scale to zero is a trade-off; not a best practice.

— Kelsey Hightower (@kelseyhightower) April 16, 2019

 

 

Try using trade-off!

Is trade-off used correctly in the following sentence?

It rained all day today, but I didn’t have to leave the house, so I guess that’s a fair trade-off.