bargain

[bahr-guhn]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bargain ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an advantageous purchase, especially one acquired at less than the usual cost: The sale offered bargains galore.

an agreement between parties settling what each shall give and take or perform and receive in a transaction.

such an agreement as affecting one of the parties: a losing bargain.

something acquired by bargaining.

Informal. an agreeable person, especially one who causes no trouble or difficulty (usually used in negative constructions): His boss is no bargain.

verb (used without object)

to discuss the terms of a bargain; haggle; negotiate.

to come to an agreement; make a bargain: We bargained on a three-year term.

verb (used with object)

to arrange by bargain; negotiate: to bargain a new wage increase.

to anticipate as likely to occur; expect (usually followed by a clause): I'll bargain that he's going to give those company directors plenty of trouble.

Verb Phrases

bargain for, to anticipate or take into account: The job turned out to be more than he had bargained for.

bargain on, to expect or anticipate; count or rely on: You can't bargain on what she'll do in this situation.

Idioms

in/into the bargain, over and above what has been stipulated; moreover; besides: The new housekeeper proved to be a fine cook in the bargain.

strike a bargain, to make a bargain; agree to terms: They were unable to strike a bargain because the owner's asking price was more than the prospective buyer could afford.

Origin of bargain

1300–50; (v.) Middle English bargaynen < Anglo-French, Old French bargai(g)ner, probably < Frankish *borganjan, extended form of Germanic *borgan (compare Old High German bor(a)gēn to look after, Middle High German, German borgen to lend, borrow); (noun) Middle English bargayn < Anglo-French, Old French bargai(g)ne, bargain, noun derivative of the v.; o > a in 1st syllable is unexplained

Related formsbar·gain·a·ble, adjectivebar·gain·er, nounout·bar·gain, verb (used with object)pre·bar·gain, verb (used with object)pro·bar·gain·ing, adjectiveun·bar·gained, adjective

Synonyms for bargain

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bargain ON THESAURUS.COM

2. stipulation, arrangement, transaction. 7. contract, covenant.

Synonym study

2. See agreement. 6. See trade.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for bargaining

dealings, trading, transaction, exchange

Examples from the Web for bargaining

Contemporary Examples of bargaining

It invites dictatorial and rogue regimes to use Americans serving overseas as bargaining chips.
Aging Cuban Exiles And Their Lawmakers Bypassed by White House
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena
December 17, 2014
That victory for the tab became a bargaining chip in all future dealings with the superstar.
I Warned You About Bill Cosby in 2007
Mark Ebner
November 20, 2014
Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Erdogan said there were critics accusing Turkey of bargaining with ISIS.
The Turks to ISIS: ‘Let’s Make a Deal’
Thomas Seibert
September 21, 2014
This one was about bargaining: “The other side threatens you with death so you would be happy with a fever.”
Iran Supreme Leader Spills the Nuke Talk Secrets
IranWire
July 12, 2014
The separatists had sought to use them as bargaining chips in a prisoner exchange with Kiev.
Carnage in Ukraine: Dozens of Pro-Russia Activists Die in Odessa
Jamie Dettmer
May 3, 2014

Historical Examples of bargaining

The card-players have plunged suddenly in medias res of bargaining.
Camps, Quarters and Casual Places
Archibald Forbes
And he, ‘I do not feel like chaffering and bargaining this morning.’
The Book of Khalid
Ameen Rihani
The price of it was three sous, but, by dint of bargaining, she got it for two.
The Fat and the Thin
Emile Zola
It may be that he is bargaining for the Chancellorship, which he is certainly not fit for.
Charles Lever, His Life in His Letters, Vol. II (of II)
Edmund Downey
"I hate the idea of bargaining with that wretch," said Lucille.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, May, 1930
Various

British Dictionary definitions for bargaining

bargain

noun

an agreement or contract establishing what each party will give, receive, or perform in a transaction between them

something acquired or received in such an agreement

something bought or offered at a low pricea bargain at an auction
(as modifier)a bargain price

into the bargain or US in the bargain in excess of what has been stipulated; besides

make a bargain or strike a bargain to agree on terms

verb

(intr) to negotiate the terms of an agreement, transaction, etc

(tr) to exchange, as in a bargain

to arrive at (an agreement or settlement)

Derived Formsbargainer, nounbargaining, noun, adjective

Word Origin for bargain

C14: from Old French bargaigne, from bargaignier to trade, of Germanic origin; compare Medieval Latin barcāniāre to trade, Old English borgian to borrow

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

Word Origin and History for bargaining

bargain

mid-14c., "business transaction or agreement," also "that which is acquired by bargaining," from Old French bargaine, from bargaignier (see bargain (v.)). Meaning "article priced for special sale" is from 1899. A bargain basement (1899) originally was a basement floor in a store where bargains were displayed.

bargain

late 14c., from Old French bargaignier (12c., Modern French barguigner) "to haggle over the price," perhaps from Frankish *borganjan "to lend" or some other Germanic source, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *borgan (cf. Old High German borgen; Old English borgian, source of borrow). Another suggestion is that the French word comes from Late Latin barca "a barge," because it "carries goods to and fro." There are difficulties with both suggestions. Related: Bargained; bargaining.

Idioms and Phrases with bargaining

bargain

In addition to the idiom beginning with bargain

bargain for

also see:

drive a bargain
into the bargain
make the best of it (a bad bargain)
more than one bargained for
strike a bargain