Meanings
- idiomaticuncountableA process of compromise or accommodation.
Near-synonyms: accommodation, compromise, concession, flexibility
3 more examples
They hoped for an amicable solution, but both knew it would require some give and take.
Will be run for on Huish Downs..A Free Plate of ₤50. Give and Take, by any Horse, Mare, or Gelding.
1769, St. James's ChronicleMy mama said "you can't hurry love / No, you'll just have to wait" / She said "love don't come easy / But it's a game of give and take"
1966, Holland–Dozier–Holland, “You Can't Hurry Love”, in Hello, I Must Be Going!, performed by Phil Collins, published 1982Synonyms: accommodation, compromise, concession, flexibility · Antonyms: inflexibility, rigidity, stubbornness
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA process of compromise or accommodation.
Origin
First use appears c. 1769. See cite below.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan estira-i-arronsa
- estira-i-arronsaTranslations
Finnish kompromissi, myönnytys
- kompromissiTranslations
- myönnytysTranslations
French concessions, compromis
- concessionsTranslations
- compromisTranslations
- donnant donnantTranslations
German Geben und Nehmen
- Geben und NehmenTranslations
Greek πάρε δώσε
- πάρε δώσε (páre dóse)Translations
Norwegian Bokmål gi og ta
- gi og taTranslations
Polish coś za coś
- coś za cośTranslations
Portuguese toma lá dá cá
- toma lá dá cáTranslations
Spanish toma y daca
- toma y dacaTranslations
Cite this entry
give and take. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20and%20take
“give and take.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20and%20take. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “give and take,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20and%20take.
Source: give and take on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.