transact

American  

[tran-sakt, -zakt] / trænˈsækt, -ˈzækt /

verb (used with object)

• transacts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• transacted,
  past participle,  past
• transacting
  present participle

1. to carry on or conduct (business, negotiations, activities, etc.) to a conclusion or settlement.

   Synonyms:

   negotiate, manage, settle, conclude, enact

---

verb (used without object)

• transacts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• transacted,
  past participle,  past
• transacting
  present participle

1. to carry on or conduct business, negotiations, etc..

   He was ordered to transact only with the highest authorities.

transact British  

/ trænˈzækt /

verb

1. to do, conduct, or negotiate (business, a deal, etc)

---

Synonym Usage

See perform.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• transactor
  noun
• pretransact
  verb (used with object)
• untransacted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• transacting
  present
• transacted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• transact
  simple
• transacts
  simple
• have transacted
  perfect
• has transacted
  perfect
• am transacting
  progressive
• are transacting
  progressive
• is transacting
  progressive
• have been transacting
  perfect progressive
• has been transacting
  perfect progressive

Past

• transacted
  simple
• had transacted
  perfect
• was transacting
  progressive
• were transacting
  progressive
• had been transacting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will transact
  simple
• will have transacted
  perfect
• will be transacting
  progressive
• will have been transacting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of transact

First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin trānsāctus (past participle of trānsigere “to carry out, accomplish”), equivalent to trāns- “across, beyond, through” + ag(ere) “to drive, lead” + -tus past participle suffix; see trans-

Explanation

The verb transact is almost always used with the word "business." To transact business is to conduct it, as when a shopkeeper sells groceries to a customer. All kinds of business owners and workers transact business, just by following their usual routines of selling, buying, investing, trading, or anything else they do to carry out their work. Shoppers also participate in transacting business — a purchase can also be called a transaction. The Latin root word, transactus, means "to drive through or accomplish."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

transact transacts transacted transacting

Fashion specialists tried to add more ways to transact, giving sellers more checks and balances and adding delivery and payment methods to help buyers feel safe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Google Pay and PhonePe can fight fiercely for customers while still allowing their users to transact across the same network.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

The pickup in sales last month is a reminder that many buyers are ready to transact when supply expands and affordability conditions ease.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

They would be running afoul of sanctions if they transact with Iran.

From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026

“Two or three hours, at least,” said Dr. Trefusis, “to transact their business.”

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the agency, threatening penalties for any shipper that transacts with it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

That could jeopardize a trading relationship worth some $300 billion a year, just slightly less than Japan transacts with the U.S.

From Barron's ● Feb. 10, 2026

“We are hearing that we are not just clients or countries that one transacts with, we want to be partners, and that’s certainly the spirit with which we are engaging them,” he said.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 10, 2022

But it still transacts based on those stories, based on what it could become, based on what it intends to do, based on what it, in theory, might do in the future.

From Salon ● Feb. 17, 2022

It is a sort of semi-official National Treasury and performs for Belgium many of the functions that the Bank of England transacts for the United Kingdom.

From An African Adventure by Isaac Frederick Marcosson

Out of the properties transacted, 49 were previously in the private rental sector, while 30 were purchased for rental use.

From BBC ● May 7, 2026

The spokeswoman said the investigation didn’t establish that any Binance user transacted directly with a sanctioned entity, instead transmitting funds over several steps.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026

A huge portion of such fraud is transacted in cryptocurrency.

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2025

SEC chair Gary Gensler recently promoted the benefits of central clearing and pointed to data showing high levels of repo trades transacted at zero haircuts.

From Reuters ● Nov. 21, 2023

We may be sure, however, that this exportation is transacted not simply for the emoluments of sale, but for the instruction of awful example.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

There were 59 million monthly transacting active users for Cash App in the month of June.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

While agricultural goods were exempt from the blockade, many shippers were unwilling to deliver them given the potential legal risks of transacting with Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

She is accused of breaching US sanctions against Iran, which prohibit US persons from transacting or dealing in Iranian goods or services without authorisation.

From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026

If there are enough buyers and sellers transacting, that market is efficient.

From Salon ● Jan. 7, 2025

General Harding was not slow in transacting the business that carried him to London.

From The Finger of Fate A Romance by Mayne Reid