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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of negotiation
1570–80; < Latin negōtiātiōn- (stem of negōtiātiō ) a doing of business, equivalent to negōtiāt ( us ) ( see 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.
See Examples For:
Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that the EU action against Google put the agreement at risk, but signaled openness to negotiation if fines are removed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Some of its language suggests that, despite several briefings, he completely misunderstands the subject of uranium enrichment—crucial to any negotiation with Iran.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
But it became a consistent and central point of negotiation between the two allies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Many job seekers are employing artificial intelligence to rehearse asking for a higher salary by using large language models like Claude or ChatGPT to practice a mock negotiation.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Artemis hoped fervently that someone on the fairy team had the wit to spot the blunder he’d made during the negotiation session.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Iran’s foreign ministry said Monday that the U.S. had exchanged messages with Tehran but wouldn’t call it negotiations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Tehran has denied that any direct negotiations are taking place.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Workers there would enjoy employment and site protection until 2035, it said after negotiations with the general works council and trade unions.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Others, including Thaler, said the country’s leaders could use elections as a bargaining chip in future negotiations with the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
But eventually, after secret negotiations, a big ransom was paid to the rebels, and the students were all released.
From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall
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.
