negotiate
Americanverb (used without object)
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negotiates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
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
-
negotiatesimple
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negotiatessimple
-
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
-
negotiatedsimple
-
had negotiatedperfect
-
was negotiatingprogressive
-
were negotiatingprogressive
-
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:
Microsoft could direct more of its next round of spending toward its own chips, or use that option to negotiate better terms on GPUs.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Emails obtained by The Wall Street Journal show relations have soured to the point where county officials appear more inclined to block the project than negotiate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
"The message to consumers and industry is that regardless of what happens and whether the president is able to successfully negotiate that kind of a deal," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
“We had to really negotiate it,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Through his parents’ various marital split-ups, he’d moved repeatedly from one remote and inhospitable town to another, learning to negotiate a series of stepparents along the way.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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
Michel negotiates a supply price with F2 and F3's chassis and engine partners, and says he demands the best offer.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 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
"The first-order impact has been negotiated well by Pakistan," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
About 75% of Micron’s fiscal 2027 memory-chip output is already contracted, and new long-term deals are being negotiated at higher prices, according to Mizuho analyst Brett Linzey.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Over the past five years, Katz and his small team have negotiated billions in compute deals, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
In their filing, the companies said the agreement was negotiated “at arm’s length” after “two months of hard-fought litigation.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
We huddled in front of the terminal while Don Julio negotiated with drivers.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Microsoft does not need to replace every Nvidia chip to strengthen its negotiating position.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Powell began his government career as a diplomat but later served as an adviser in Tony Blair's government, where he was credited with negotiating a peace deal in Northern Ireland.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
A chip that performs well on selected tasks is useful, but its negotiating value depends on how much spending Microsoft can realistically redirect.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
The company is hiring executives from Foran’s former employer and moving quickly to implement many of its tactics, such as offering low prices, cutting costs and negotiating more aggressively with suppliers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
After we’d finished negotiating, we went to shore, said our good-byes, and then he was gone.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
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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.
