prisoner's dilemma

noun

(in game theory) a scenario in which the outcome of one person's decision is determined by the simultaneous decisions of the other participants, resulting in a bad outcome for all of them if all act in their own self-interest.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of prisoner's dilemma¹

From a dilemma in which partners in crime must decide whether to confess, without knowing each other's decision

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

�� we’re witnessing is a textbook coordination failure—a form of what political economists call a prisoner’s dilemma.

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Soon after, the Prisoner's Dilemma turned into the central topic in game theory.

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In some cases, it’s a classic prisoner’s dilemma: If firms collectively shift to cleaner energy, a cooler climate benefits everyone more in the future.

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Jail presents a prisoner’s dilemma for Trump.

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Individuals have different motivations and reasons to collaborate, resulting in social dilemmas, such as the well-known prisoner's dilemma.

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prisoner's base prison fever

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