negotiation
Americannoun
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mutual discussion and arrangement of the terms of a transaction or agreement.
the negotiation of a treaty.
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the act or process of negotiating.
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an instance or the result of negotiating.
noun
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a discussion set up or intended to produce a settlement or agreement
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the act or process of negotiating
Other Word Forms
- nonnegotiation noun
- prenegotiation noun
- pronegotiation adjective
Etymology
Origin of negotiation
1570–80; < Latin negōtiātiōn- (stem of negōtiātiō ) a doing of business, equivalent to negōtiāt ( us ) ( negotiate ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A negotiation is a business-oriented conversation where two sides argue, discuss, and compromise to reach some agreement. When you hear the word negotiation, you know there are two sides and they're willing to talk to each other. In sports, the owners and the players union go through a negotiation to get a new contract. Parents and kids might have a negotiation over curfew time. Negotiation implies that both sides are willing to give something up and compromise. If your side won't give an inch, then you're not ready for negotiation.
Vocabulary lists containing negotiation
Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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"Marriage is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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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.
"We're going to try to have a positive negotiation," Vance told reporters before take-off from Joint Base Andrews outside Washington.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
Next is a contemporary analysis of how the negotiation was doomed because Spalding sent Anson, a prickly personality, to do the talking.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
The suspect initially survived the crash and refused to exit his vehicle and the Riverside Sheriff’s crisis negotiation team responded to the incident, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
The millions of civilians in the Middle East who have been caught up in this conflict hope this negotiation will be the war's endgame.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
Finally, after another full day of negotiation, everyone agreed that Branwell would not have to go home.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
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.
