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Synonyms

transaction

American  
[tran-sak-shuhn, -zak-] / trænˈsæk ʃən, -ˈzæk- /

noun

  1. the act of transacting or the fact of being transacted.

  2. an instance or process of transacting something.

    Synonyms:
    affair, venture, enterprise, bargain, deal

  3. something that is transacted, especially a business agreement.

  4. Psychology. an interaction of an individual with one or more other persons, especially as influenced by their assumed relational roles of parent, child, or adult.

  5. transactions, the published records of the proceedings, as papers read, addresses delivered, or discussions, at the meetings of a learned society or the like.

transaction British  
/ trænˈzækʃən /

noun

  1. something that is transacted, esp a business deal or negotiation

  2. the act of transacting or the state of being transacted

  3. (plural) the published records of the proceedings of a society, conference, etc

  4. (in business computing) the act of obtaining and paying for an item or service

  5. (in general computing) the transmission and processing of an item of data

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • pretransaction noun
  • transactional adjective
  • transactionally adverb

Etymology

Origin of transaction

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin trānsāctiōn- (stem of trānsāctiō ) “completion, transaction”; transact, -ion

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.

But the pair of young couples are treating this practical business transaction between customer and caterer as their double date, lingering too long and asking for more wine, joking that they’re not quite certain yet.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

“I recognize that the last time we spoke, I indicated that we expected to be done with an important transaction by this call, but we’re not ready to announce anything today,” Dominguez said.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

When Neha paid for an online CV builder, she thought she was only making a single transaction.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

OpenAI declined to disclose the terms of the transaction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

“I hope this helps,” Margarita said, handing me a bottle of aspirin to disguise our transaction.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

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.