Phrase guide

zero-sum game

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A game (or a similar political or economic system) in which the gains of some players must equal the losses of others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, game-theory, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a game in which the total of all the gains and losses is zero

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: game

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 零和博弈 (línghé bóyì) — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Chinese Mandarin: 零和遊戲 /零和游戏 (línghé yóuxì) — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Danish: nulsumsspil — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Dutch: nulsomspel — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Finnish: nollasummapeli — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • French: jeu à somme nulle — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • German: Nullsummenspiel — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Hebrew: משחק סכום אפס (miskhák skhum éfes) — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Icelandic: núllsummuleikur — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Italian: gioco a somma zero — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Japanese: ゼロ和ゲーム (zerowa gēmu) — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Japanese: ゼロサムゲーム (zerosamu gēmu) — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Kazakh: антагонистік ойын (antagonistık oiyn) — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Kazakh: тайталаспа ойын (taitalaspa oiyn) — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Kazakh: тайталастық ойын (taitalastyq oiyn) — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Korean: 제로섬 게임 (jeroseom geim) — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Persian: بازی مجموع-صفر (bâzi-ye majmu'-sefr) — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Polish: gra o sumie stałej — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Portuguese: jogo de soma zero — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Russian: антагонистическая игра (antagonističeskaja igra) — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Spanish: juego de suma cero — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Swedish: nollsummespel — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others
  • Vietnamese: trò chơi có tổng bằng không — system in which one player's winnings must equal losses of others