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Zero-sum game
01
a situation in which one side can achieve victory by taking the advantage away from the other side in a competition, causing them to lose the game
Idiom
Grammatical Information
Animacy status
Abstract
Composition
Compound
Countable
Plural form
zero-sum games
What is the origin of the idiom "zero-sum game" and when to use it?
The idiom "zero-sum game" originated in game theory, where it describes a game in which the total amount of winnings and losses is always zero. The phrase is often used more broadly to describe situations where there is a fixed amount of resources or opportunities, and any gain by one person or group must come at the expense of another.
Examples
The negotiations became a zero-sum game, with each side trying to take advantage from the other.
