negotiate
Americanverb (used without object)
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negotiates,
present (3rd person singular)
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negotiated,
past participle, past
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negotiating
present participle
verb (used with object)
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negotiates,
present (3rd person singular)
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negotiated,
past participle, past
-
negotiating
present participle
-
to arrange for or bring about by discussion and settlement of terms.
to negotiate a loan.
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to manage; transact; conduct.
He negotiated an important business deal.
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to move through, around, or over in a satisfactory manner.
to negotiate a difficult dance step without tripping: to negotiate sharp curves.
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to transfer (a draft, promissory note, etc.) to a new owner by endorsement and delivery or by delivery.
verb
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to work or talk (with others) to achieve (a transaction, an agreement, etc)
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(tr) to succeed in passing through, around, or over
to negotiate a mountain pass
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(tr) finance
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to transfer (a negotiable commercial paper) by endorsement to another in return for value received
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to sell (financial assets)
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to arrange for (a loan)
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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negotiatesimple
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negotiatessimple
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have negotiatedperfect
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has negotiatedperfect
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am negotiatingprogressive
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are negotiatingprogressive
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is negotiatingprogressive
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have been negotiatingperfect progressive
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has been negotiatingperfect progressive
Past
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negotiatedsimple
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had negotiatedperfect
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was negotiatingprogressive
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were negotiatingprogressive
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had been negotiatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of negotiate
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin negōtiātus “traded,” past participle of negōtiārī “to do business, trade,” verb derivative of negōtium “business,” from nec, neg- “not” ( cf. neglect ( def. )) + ōtium “leisure”
Explanation
To negotiate is to try to work out an agreement between parties that each want something out of the deal. You might negotiate with your mom — offering to do more chores for a raise in your allowance. Good luck. Negotiation is all about give and take. Governments are always negotiating with unions, trying to define the terms of new contracts. The government might offer the teachers union a raise, if they agree to work 200 days a year instead of 180. The verb negotiate can also mean to successfully pass through or travel along. You may have to negotiate a hazardous road, or a tricky path through sticker bushes.
Vocabulary lists containing negotiate
Chains
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Vocabulary from the First Presidential Debate: September 26, 2016
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In June, the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding that called for a 60-day end of hostilities to allow time to negotiate an end to the conflict.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Lenders, meanwhile, have reacted by signing onto cooperation agreements early, sometimes years before debt matures, to negotiate more aggressively with sponsors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
By July 30, when the fund was forced to negotiate a bailout deal with Citadel, shares in the two semiconductor plays had plunged — Sandisk had collapsed 43% and Micron 24%.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
Last week, Ellison threatened to move the company out of California if the state's attorney general, Rob Bonta, did not negotiate on his lawsuit.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
They were less friendly, too, unwilling to negotiate prices.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Though it negotiates from a position of weakness, it frames survival itself as victory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Some people, including Tellez, believe a diplomatic solution is still possible, in which a coalition of countries negotiates with Nicaragua’s leaders for a transition to democracy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
If that is the case, Iran may be attempting to establish a new regional reality: one in which it negotiates from a position of strength while actively enforcing its own red lines.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
For a flat fee of $1,000, he negotiates on a buyer’s behalf.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026
While other children of their age learned other things, Estha and Rahel learned how history negotiates its terms and collects its dues from those who break its laws.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
They will pay an initial £65m, plus a potential £5m in add-ons, while the Seagulls have also negotiated a sell-on clause.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Verstappen and Mekies would not elaborate in public on the details of the new contract they have negotiated.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
The difference is that many of those restrictions are negotiated with player organizations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The district plan also contains elements that have to be negotiated with employees, such as unpaid furlough days.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
A marvel, really, the ease with which Dick negotiated changes of mood; in a trice, all trace of meanness, of sullen bravura, had evaporated.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
The United States and Canada were headed back to the negotiating table on Friday seeking a deal to end months of trade tensions before punishing new tariffs kick in at midnight.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previewed new measures against Iran aimed at getting back to the negotiating table but didn’t provide details.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
But resorting to litigation rather than negotiating a settlement to this trivial dispute could open a new source of pain.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
"Yet we share a common hope that Prime Minister Carney will deliver a genuine win at the negotiating table."
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
“Is this business, now? Are we negotiating a deal?”
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
