trade-offn.
/ˈtreɪdɒf/, U.S. /ˈtreɪdˌɔf/, /ˈtreɪdˌɑf/ Originally U.S.
In early use: an exchange. Now chiefly: a compromise between two desirable but mutually exclusive features; a concession or sacrifice made in one area to obtain benefits in another.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > compromise > [noun] > instance of
midsc1485
temper?1523
composition1597
temperature1598
temperament1604
medium1719
compromise1797
come-between1877
trade-off1909
wash1976
1909 St. Louis (Missouri) Post-Disp. 7 Mar. (Mag.) 7/7 A player who objects to ‘swaps’ or ‘trade-offs’, or, in common language, an equal exchange of pieces.
1951 Billboard 5 May 53/1 Park's trade-off with WNBC and WNBT to date has resulted in about $3,000 worth of air and video time being donated to selling the park.
1970 A. Toffler Future Shock xx. 425 To provide data on the social and economic costs of various goals, and to show the costs and benefits of proposed trade-offs.
1983 Listener 8 Dec. 23/3 The trade-off between housing and other objectives of policy has changed.
2006 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 4 May c11/2 Pixel noise is a fair trade-off when a photograph would otherwise be impossible to capture.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2015; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1909