zero-sum

[ zeer-oh-suhm ]

adjective
  1. of or denoting a system in which the sum of the gains equals the sum of the losses: a zero-sum economy.

Origin of zero-sum

1
First recorded in 1955–60

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use zero-sum in a sentence

  • Pigspleen actually paid me a non-zero sum of money to do this, which was really weird.

    Little Brother | Cory Doctorow
  • These economies are predatory in the sense that they engage in zero-sum games.

    After the Rain | Sam Vaknin