zero-sum option
nounUK /ˈzɪərəʊ sʌm ˈɒpʃən/
US /ˈzɪroʊ sʌm ˈɑːpʃən/
A choice where one person wins only if the other person loses.
The game was a zero-sum option, so every point I won was a point my friend lost.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A decision in which total gains and losses always add up to zero.
Dividing one small cake is a zero-sum option because a bigger slice for you means a smaller slice for me.
3. A situation where helping one side directly hurts the other side.
The two teams saw the single trophy as a zero-sum option.
4. An economic or strategic choice with no possibility of mutual benefit.
Negotiators rejected the zero-sum option and looked for a deal that helped both sides.