stipulate
1 Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
to arrange expressly or specify in terms of agreement.
to stipulate a price.
-
to require as an essential condition in making an agreement.
Total disarmament was stipulated in the peace treaty.
-
to promise, in making an agreement.
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Law. to accept (a proposition) without requiring that it be established by proof.
to stipulate the existence of certain facts or that an expert witness is qualified.
adjective
verb
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to specify, often as a condition of an agreement
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to insist (on) as a term of an agreement
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Roman law to make (an oral contract) in the form of question and answer necessary to render it legally valid
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to guarantee or promise
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stipulate1
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin stipulātus (past participle of stipulārī “to demand a formal agreement”), apparently equivalent to stipul- ( see stipule) + -ātus -ate 1
Origin of stipulate2
From the New Latin word stipulātus, dating back to 1770–80. See stipule, -ate 1
Explanation
To stipulate something means to demand that it be part of an agreement. So when you make a contract or deal, you can stipulate that a certain condition must be met. Anytime you draw up a legal agreement, you can stipulate a requirement that has to be met for that agreement to be complete. This stipulation might put some sort of limit on the agreement. For example, if you run a fencing company and offer a sale, you can stipulate that to get the sale price, the fence must be ordered by a certain date. Your customer, in turn, might stipulate that the work must be finished before the ground freezes.
Vocabulary lists containing stipulate
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Great Expectations
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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.
Stipulate for the sake of argument that the AI project is more likely to have immediate practical effects than the search for extraterrestrial life or any drug-aided communion with the spirit realm.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 3, 2023
Stipulate that all building products and materials be new; comply with all relevant laws, regulations and codes; and are covered by applicable manufacturers’ warranties.
From Washington Post • Aug. 29, 2022
Stipulate in contracts that products must be installed according to the written manufacturer’s instructions.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 26, 2021
Stipulate that none of Davidson’s quarantine songs or videos are particularly funny or good; it’s still inspiring to see someone use the quarantine to really lean into a new project.
From Slate • May 10, 2020
Stipulate, stip′ū-lāt, v.i. to contract: to settle terms.—ns.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
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.
