zero-sum
adjective
Did you know?
Does game theory sound like fun? It can be—if you are a mathematician or economist who needs to analyze a competitive situation in which the outcome is determined by the choices of the players and chance. Game theory was introduced by mathematician John von Neumann and economist Oskar Morgenstern in their 1944 book The Theory of Games and Economic Behavior. In game theory, a zero-sum game is one, such as chess or checkers, where each player has a clear purpose that is completely opposed to that of the opponent. In economics, a situation is zero-sum if the gains of one party are exactly balanced by the losses of another and no net gain or loss is created; however, such situations in real life are rare.
Examples of zero-sum in a Sentence
Linda Robinson, Foreign Affairs, 31 Oct. 2024
This thinking is rooted in a zero-sum game: more efficiency means more work for the people working and more profit for shareholders.
—Nirit Cohen, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
The concerns are comprehensible enough: in the rarefied zero-sum world of elite American education, is the use of lotteries or personality scores for admissions not discriminatory toward Asian students who must be better than best in their efforts—when their efforts have any bearing at all?
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
Investing in your workforce within a culture of continuous learning is not a zero-sum game.
—Bijal Shah, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for zero-sum 
Dictionary Entries Near zero-sum
Cite this Entry
“Zero-sum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zero-sum. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy Citation
Share