Trade-off: meaning, example and synonyms
Trade-offn. A balance struck between two desirable but incompatible features; a compromise.
Example
Designers of the early aircraft accepted a trade-off between speed and range, since every additional engine shortened the distance the plane could fly.
- Part of speech
- noun
- Synonyms
- compromise, exchange, give-and-take, balance
- Antonyms
- win-win, pure gain
- Memory tip
- TRADE one benefit OFF to get another: you can't have both.
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Check yourself: Trade-off in context
Engineers designing the electric bus faced a difficult ______: larger batteries would extend its range, but the added weight would wear out its tires and brakes far more quickly.
Answer: trade-off. Gaining range at the cost of faster wear is a trade-off. mentorship (guidance from an experienced person), deterrence (discouragement through fear of consequences) and craftsmanship (skill in making things) don't fit this context.
Economists describe rent control as a policy ______, since the protection it gives current tenants may come at the cost of fewer new apartments being built.
Answer: trade-off. A benefit for tenants bought at the price of less new housing is a trade-off. craftsmanship (skill in making things), mentorship (guidance from an experienced person) and proxy (a stand-in) don't fit this context.