zero-sum
adjective
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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
Elise Hannum, The Atlantic, 20 June 2024
Politically, these have become zero-sum disputes, leading to political polarization among Americans and social distrust of American institutions.
—Thomas D. Beamish, The Conversation, 14 June 2024
Here in America, there is a similar zero-sum Republican extremist approach.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 May 2024
But this isn’t a zero-sum game; renaming something is not an attack on anyone.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 11 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for zero-sum 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zero-sum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Zero-sum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zero-sum. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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