negotiate

verb

ne·​go·​ti·​ate ni-ˈgō-shē-ˌāt 

nonstandard

-sē- 

negotiated; negotiating

intransitive verb

: to confer with another so as to arrive at the settlement of some matter

Teachers are negotiating for higher salaries.

transitive verb

1

a

: to deal with (some matter or affair that requires ability for its successful handling) : manage

negotiated his business deals with remarkable skill

b

: to arrange for or bring about through conference, discussion, and compromise

negotiate a treaty

2

a

: to transfer (something, such as a bill of exchange) to another by delivery or endorsement (see endorse sense 1d)

b

: to convert into cash or the equivalent value

negotiate a check

3

a

: to successfully travel along or over

negotiate a turn

b

: complete, accomplish

negotiate the trip in two hours

negotiator

ni-ˈgō-shē-ˌā-tər 

 nonstandard  -sē-

noun

negotiatory

ni-ˈgō-sh(ē-)ə-ˌtȯr-ē 

nonstandard

-sē- 

adjective

Did you know?

The Controversial History of Negotiate

Negotiate comes from Latin negōtiārī, meaning "to carry on business," and the word shares that meaning. In English, it can also mean "to successfully travel along or over."

Synonyms

• arrange
• bargain
• concert
• conclude

Examples of negotiate in a Sentence

The customer wanted to negotiate over the price.

She has good negotiating skills.

We negotiated a fair price.

The driver carefully negotiated the winding road.

Recent Examples on the Web

Howard negotiated terms for the rights to McDougal's story, and brought Pecker the offer: $150,000 for the lifetime rights and other provisions, Pecker testified. —Katrina Kaufman, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2024

Now Alhadeff will negotiate the actual terms of that separation with Licata, as well as the new contract with Hepburn. —Jimena Tavel, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024

The county has negotiated new contracts with the majority of its labor unions, and represented employees will see cost-of-living raises, Davenport said. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024

Pecker followed up with Cohen later on, saying the Enquirer had negotiated to buy Sajudin's story for $30,000, which was still far above the $10,000 max that the tabloid adhered to, but worth the cost in Pecker's eyes. —Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 24 Apr. 2024

The position requires negotiating union contracts for Broadway, touring theater and other professional theaters across the country, and leading the unionizing efforts of other groups, such as performers at Disneyland. —Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2024

The indie company, presided over by veteran French distributor Jean Labadie, is currently negotiating a deal. —Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 23 Apr. 2024

Every major decision has to be painstakingly negotiated with employee representatives. —Paul Eremenko, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024

Led by chief negotiator and NewsGuild local representative Lena Solow, the union maintains that the November layoffs need to be negotiated as part of its overall first contract package, a process that has been ongoing so far for at least a year. —Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin negōtiātus, past participle of negōtiārī "to do business, trade, deal," derivative of negōtium "work, business, difficulty, annoyance," from nec "not" + ōtium "free time, leisure, tranquility," of obscure origin — more at neglect entry 1

Note: The sense "to confer in order to arrive at a settlement" is probably based on Middle French negocier or Italian negoziare, which had developed this sense, not belonging to the Latin source, by the mid-16th century.

First Known Use

circa 1598, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

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Kids Definition

negotiate

verb

ne·​go·​ti·​ate ni-ˈgō-shē-ˌāt 

negotiated; negotiating

1

a

: to have a discussion with another so as to arrive at an agreement

b

: to arrange for or bring about by such discussion

negotiate a treaty

2

: to transfer to another in return for something of equal value

negotiate a check

3

: to get through, around, or over successfully

negotiate a turn

negotiation

-ˌgō-shē-ˈā-shən

-sē-

noun

negotiator

-ˈgō-shē-ˌāt-ər 

noun

Legal Definition

negotiate

verb

ne·​go·​ti·​ate ni-ˈgō-shē-ˌāt 

negotiated; negotiating

intransitive verb

: to confer with another so as to settle some matter

transitive verb

1

: to bring about through conference, discussion, and agreement or compromise

negotiate a contract

2

a

: to transfer (as an instrument) to another by delivery or endorsement

b

: to convert into cash or the equivalent value

negotiate a check

negotiation

ni-ˌgō-shē-ˈā-shən 

noun

negotiator

ni-ˈgō-shē-ˌā-tər 

noun