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)
-
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
-
have been negotiatingperfect progressive
-
has been negotiatingperfect progressive
Past
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negotiatedsimple
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had negotiatedperfect
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was negotiatingprogressive
-
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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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.
See Examples For:
The company is vigorously defending against the litigation, it said, while saying it remains willing to negotiate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
Non-recognized tribes see it as another move by economically powerful tribes to protect their own interests and avoid having to negotiate with other local tribes over territorial disputes and how to best protect important sites.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Airbnb has been asking travelers and hosts to negotiate that question for years.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
Callum describes "constant delays" in his attempts to reach out to Curo and negotiate.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
After each instance, union people eventually found the wherewithal to rally and try again, until 1934, when companies were forced by the federal government to recognize unions and negotiate with workers.
From "Fannie Never Flinched" by Mary Cronk Farrell
The report lands as OpenAI negotiates a fresh private fundraising that could value it at roughly $1.4 trillion, according to the FT.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
She tours major international defence shows, negotiates with arms manufacturers and takes part in discussions on Europe's rearmament.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Now, as Marriott negotiates new agreements with credit-card companies, owners are demanding a better deal, according to the owners’ letter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 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
He is behaving much as he does with his parents — he reasons, negotiates, and jokes with equal ease.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who negotiated the power-sharing agreement with Bass, put out a statement saying the decision transferring the federal functions to the county reflects that “regional leadership requires collaboration.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
If none of the above scenarios can be negotiated, the default outcome would be new elections.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
He has spoken of turning military achievements into diplomatic ones, a nod to negotiated solutions, and has described Netanyahu’s goal of regime change in Iran during the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign as too ambitious.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Separately, as part of the company’s new Founder Alignment agreement, the board negotiated with Zuckerberg to remain a resident of California for the next eight years, barring “material unforeseen circumstances.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
That the threat had been negotiated neatly downward did not appear to diminish its power.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Gloucester centre Seb Atkinson and Exeter wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso are also included after successfully negotiating injury comebacks for their clubs this weekend.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
On top of that, the next mayor will also play a central role negotiating new contracts with the city’s employee unions, which will determine how much money is left for basic services.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026
“We’re not negotiating with them, we are going to have something one way or another, it’ll happen soon,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
The commenter had spent considerable time walking delivery workers through specialty aisles and negotiating alternatives, an especially frustrating undertaking when dietary restrictions were involved.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
The machinery had still to be installed, and Whymper was negotiating the purchase of it, but the structure was completed.
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
