trade-off ˈtrade-off noun [countable]
a balance between two situations in order to get an acceptable result:
• The legal restrictions will remain as a trade-off for allowing interstate investment.
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trade-off UK US /ˈtreɪdɒf/ noun [C, usually singular]
► a situation in which you accept something you do not like or want in order to have something that you want: a trade-off between sth and sth »
These companies offer the best trade-off between risk and return for most individual investors.
a trade-off for sth »The explosion in data collection has been accepted by many as a trade-off for convenience and discounts.
»trade-off decisions
Financial and business terms. 2012.