tradeoff

noun/ˈtreɪdɔf/

Frequency rank: #17,803 most common English word

Meaning

a balance achieved between two desirable but incompatible features; a situation where gaining one thing requires giving up something else.

Illustration for the English word “tradeoff”

Example sentence

Every engineering decision involves some kind of tradeoff, where you gain one benefit but lose another.

Synonyms & related words

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