What is meant by a 'win-lose situation'?

A 'win-lose situation' refers to a scenario in negotiations where one party achieves their objectives at the expense of another party. In this type of arrangement, the gains of one party are often directly linked to the losses of the other. This is often seen in competitive environments where resources are limited and parties are pitted against each other, leading to a zero-sum game perspective.

In contrast, options suggesting that both parties equally achieve goals or share benefits indicate a collaborative or win-win approach, which focuses on mutual benefit and is fundamentally different from a win-lose scenario. A balanced agreement further implies cooperation and compromise, moving away from the idea of one side's gain resulting in another's loss. Thus, recognizing a win-lose situation emphasizes the adversarial nature of some negotiations where success for one means failure for another.