zero-sum
ZEER-oh-SUM
/ˌzɪə.rəʊˈsʌm/
Relating to a situation in which one participant's gain is exactly equal to another participant's loss.
Describes strict conflict where total gains and losses sum to zero, leaving no room for mutual net benefit.
The story behind the word. Coined during the development of mathematical game theory in the mid-20th century. It literally describes games where summing all positive gains and negative losses equals zero.
Word relationships
- strictly competitive: 'Strictly competitive' describes the behavioral stance, whereas 'zero-sum' defines the mathematical payoff structure.
- win-win: 'Win-win' denotes positive-sum interactions where all parties can gain simultaneously.
- positive-sum: 'Positive-sum' refers to situations where total resources grow through cooperation.
Commonly confused with
- net-zero: 'Net-zero' refers to environmental carbon balance, while 'zero-sum' describes strategic payoff distribution.
Collocations
- zero-sum game
- zero-sum mindset
- zero-sum competition
- zero-sum dynamic
Idioms & expressions
- zero-sum thinking
Example sentences
- "In a zero-sum game, whatever is gained by one competitor must be lost by another." Socioeconomic Analysis
- "The saturated market meant that taking market share from rivals was a zero-sum contest." Market Competition
Memory hook
Gains minus losses equal ZERO when added together. One's gain is directly another's loss.
When not to use
Do not use for situations where cooperation can increase the overall pool of resources (non-zero-sum).
Fun facts
- Poker and chess are classic real-world examples of zero-sum games.
Explore more words
reciprocal, deadlock, compromise, proportional, bilateral, deficit
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