transaction
Americannoun
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transactions
plural
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the act of transacting or the fact of being transacted.
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an instance or process of transacting something.
- Synonyms:
- affair, venture, enterprise, bargain, deal
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something that is transacted, especially a business agreement.
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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.
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transactions, the published records of the proceedings, as papers read, addresses delivered, or discussions, at the meetings of a learned society or the like.
noun
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something that is transacted, esp a business deal or negotiation
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the act of transacting or the state of being transacted
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(plural) the published records of the proceedings of a society, conference, etc
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(in business computing) the act of obtaining and paying for an item or service
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(in general computing) the transmission and processing of an item of data
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of transaction
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin trānsāctiōn- (stem of trānsāctiō ) “completion, transaction”; see transact, -ion
Explanation
A transaction is any kind of action involved in conducting business, or an interaction between people. When you go to the bank, fill out a form, and deposit your paycheck, you make a transaction. An important business deal can be called a transaction, particularly the buying or selling of goods, but you can call any exchange with another person a transaction. There are transactions involving money, ideas, and even e-mail. The Latin root transactionem describes an agreement or accomplishment. This led to a mid-15th century version of transaction that described the adjustment of a dispute.
Vocabulary lists containing transaction
Chains
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Economics
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"Say It with Flowers" and "The Journey"
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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 transaction will combine the two companies to form a single heavy-oil producer in Alberta’s Clearwater fairway.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
The transaction remains subject to approvals, EQT said, and is expected to close in the first half of 2027.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
The transaction will give Nvidia access to what D.A.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
Activism could pressure DT to take a stance on this matter, either by announcing their merger interest and explaining the reasons behind it, or by formally ruling out any such transaction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Bigari, who created the call center for his own restaurants, was happy to oblige—for a small fee per transaction.
From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman
Blockbuster trades and high-profile free-agent signings have been Rams trademarks during the Sean McVay era, but success also has been built on more subtle transactions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
This is the double edge of attaching prices to things that are valuable precisely because they are not transactions.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
The commerce secretary disclosed few transactions in 2025: He sold off assets worth at least $259 million between last May and October, and bought stock-index and money-market funds worth at least $166 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
The country's Securities and Exchange Commission has approved the launch of the IPO, "paving the way for what could become one of the largest capital market transactions in Nigeria's history", the company said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
A similar situation can arise in legitimate business transactions or, indeed, in almost any sort of exchange.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
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.
