How to pronounce zero-sum
American English pronunciation
zeer-oh-SUM
- IPA
- /ˌzɪɹoʊˈsʌm/
- Syllables
- zeer · oh · SUM (3 syllables, stress on the 3rd)
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What zero-sum means
Set up so one side's gain is the other side's loss
In a sentence: In a zero-sum game like checkers, one player's win is always the other player's loss.
Where it comes from: It joins zero and sum: add one side's gains to the other side's losses and the total comes to zero. It comes from game theory, the math of contests.
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