- The definition of trade off is an exchange where you give up one thing in order to get something else that you also desire.
An example of a trade off is when you have to put up with a half hour commute in order to make more money.
an exchange; esp., a giving up of one benefit, advantage, etc. in order to gain another regarded as more desirable
also written tradeoff
- An advantage or improvement that necessitates the corresponding loss or degradation of something else.
- Improved graphics at the expense of battery life was a tradeoff the designers were willing to make.
- Any situation in which the quality or quantity of one thing must be decreased for another to be increased.
- In writing, there's often a trade-off between being concise and being complete.