setoff

/ˈsɛtɔːf/
noun
  1. Something that makes another thing look better by contrast; a counterbalance or decoration.
    • In the garden, the white flowers served as a setoff against the dark green leaves.
    • The comedian's jokes were a good setoff to the serious tone of the event.
    • The bright red scarf was a perfect setoff for her plain black dress.
  2. A claim or amount that cancels or reduces another claim or debt; a deduction.
    • The company applied a setoff to reduce the amount owed on the invoice.
    • The bank allowed a setoff of the overdraft against the savings account balance.
    • In the legal dispute, the defendant argued for a setoff based on prior payments.
What does "setoff" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean