economics
zero-sum game
A situation in which one participant's gain is exactly balanced by another's loss.
Example
"Poker is a zero-sum game — every dollar won by one player is lost by another."
💡 Memory Tip
ZERO-SUM — the gains and losses always add up to ZERO. One person's win = another's loss.
Etymology
Zero (nothing) + sum (total) + game — a game where the total gains and losses sum to zero.
Common Misspellings
zero sum gamezerosum gamezero-sum gmezero sum gaem
Related Terms
See Also
tradingderivatives