zero-sum

[ zeer-oh-suhm ]

adjective

1. of or denoting a system in which the sum of the gains equals the sum of the losses:

   a zero-sum economy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of zero-sum¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Is it True that “Gays vs. Traditionalists are a Zero-Sum Game”?

From The Daily Beast

Advocates often describe a zero-sum game, in which more of one inevitably means less of the other.

From The Daily Beast

Neither a civic voice nor a decent life is something a person should have to earn in zero-sum competition.

From The Daily Beast

Yet the function of blogging in a big-media context is not a zero-sum game.

From The Daily Beast

But gaining while your opponents are dropping is all you need to win in the zero-sum game.

From The Daily Beast

Pigspleen actually paid me a non-zero sum of money to do this, which was really weird.

From Project Gutenberg

These economies are predatory in the sense that they engage in zero-sum games.

From Project Gutenberg