# trade-off

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Any situation in which the quality or quantity of one thing must be decreased for another to be increased.

## Etymology
Deverbal from trade off.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/trade-off