compromise

noun

• 1an agreement or settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions:eventually they reached a compromise [mass noun]:the secret of a happy marriage is compromise
• an intermediate state between conflicting alternatives reached by mutual concession:a compromise between the freedom of the individual and the need to ensure orderly government

• 2 [mass noun] the expedient acceptance of standards that are lower than is desirable:sexism should be tackled without compromise

verb

• 1 [no object] settle a dispute by mutual concession:in the end we compromised and deferred the issue

• 2 [no object] expediently accept standards that are lower than is desirable:we were not prepared to compromise on safety
• [with object] weaken or harm by accepting standards that are lower than is desirable:he won’t accept any decisions which compromise his principles

• 3 [with object] bring into disrepute or danger by indiscreet, foolish, or reckless behaviour:situations in which his troops could be compromised
• cause to become vulnerable or function less effectively:yo-yo dieting can compromise your immune system last month’s leak of source code will not compromise your IT security