In many American professional sports leagues, teams have considered using "effort optimization strategies" to gain strategic advantages by not putting full effort into matches. These strategies primarily include "throwing" (intentionally underperforming during a match), "load management" (unnecessarily resting or benching key players), and "strategic forfeits" (conceding defeat before a match). Most leagues have implemented rules to ensure full effort in every match, such as discouraging throwing, fining teams for load management, and banning strategic forfeits.

Between the 1950s and 1970s, many Indigenous peoples across Latin America were integrated into peasant unions, socialist parties, and Marxist guerrilla movements, viewing their struggles primarily through the lens of economic exploitation. Particularly in the 1980s, many Indigenous peoples shifted away from class as a primary organizing political identity, instead placing a stronger emphasis on territorial autonomy, environmental justice, and their ethnic and cultural identities. 

Across Africa, many elites “outsource their ambitions to outsiders.” In practice, this refers to African government officials and leaders of civil society organizations choosing to defer to external actors (e.g., major allies and development institutions) to set targets for outcomes in health, education, infrastructure, poverty reduction, responses to climate change, and a number of other issues.

Love has three phases: lust, attraction, and attachment.

In phase one (lust), the brain produces testosterone and estrogen, driving individuals to seek sexual gratification with a given person.

In phase two (attraction), the brain produces more dopamine and norepinephrine, but less serotonin, than usual. This causes individuals to feel euphoric around their loved one, but also leads to intense infatuation with them. Phase two usually lasts between six months and three years.

In phase three (attachment), individuals’ attraction goes down. The brain instead produces more oxytocin and vasopressin, prompting individuals to bond with and nurture their partner. While lust and attraction are exclusive to sexual and romantic interests, attachment happens just as it does for others in one’s life, such as close friends and family members.

Private credit refers to lending by non-bank financial institutions (e.g., private equity firms, investment banks, and insurance and asset managers) most often to small and mid-sized businesses. Having seen explosive growth since 2020, private credit has become a competitive alternative to syndicated loans offered by traditional banks. The global private credit market is now estimated to be roughly $2 trillion in size.

For the purposes of this debate, "Hollywood Morality" refers to a common set of ethical beliefs in Hollywood films and television. Hollywood Morality's three tenets are that:

1. "good guys" (people the media is portraying as morally praiseworthy) do not strike first unless imminently and explicitly threatened (e.g., Han Solo refusing to shoot Greedo first despite Greedo covertly pointing a gun at him in the newest edit of Star Wars: A New Hope); 

2. good guys do not exact revenge (e.g., Peter Parker refusing to kill Green Goblin for killing Uncle Ben in Spider-Man); and

3. good guys do not use innocent people as means (e.g., Steve Rogers refusing to sacrifice hostages, even when it would be strategically useful, in Captain America: The Winter Soldier).

Offensive military capabilities refer to assets, forces, and strategies designed to proactively attack enemy targets to gain a strategic advantage. These typically include weapon systems such as tanks, missiles, and warships, along with tactics for air, ground, and naval combat.

"Guerrilla filmmaking" is a form of independent filmmaking characterized by minimal crew, extremely low budgets, and limited use of props. These films are usually made quickly, often without securing permits, property owners' permission, or consent from people appearing in the films.

For the purposes of this debate, "swinging at every pitch" is a political strategy whereby one actively challenges as many of their political opponents' actions as possible, while "picking battles" is a political strategy whereby one selectively challenges their political opponents' actions.