negotiation
Americannoun
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negotiations
plural
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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:
Some have spent months in talks with Venezuelan officials, vying for a limited number of oil fields in a secretive negotiation process with relatively little input by the U.S. government.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Moreno, 80, has shown no public interest in a third negotiation with the city.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
After weeks of negotiation, the clubs reached an agreement on Wednesday which could earn Villa up to an additional £4m in add-ons.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
"It's not unusual for a trade negotiation to go right up to the deadline," former US commerce official Christopher Padilla told AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Even if he thought it was his best offer, it’s now just the floor of the negotiation.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Some issues, such as the future of Iran’s nuclear program, were set aside for negotiations down the road.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
The price is a marked increase from the $7 billion valuation that served as the basis for initial negotiations with Nvidia late last year, according to the Financial Times.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Oil futures rose 1.6% to $83.53 a barrel amid skepticism about negotiations between Iran and Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Ap Iorwerth made negotiations with Westminster for more powers a key part of his election campaign.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Before they took their leave, I told them the time had come for negotiations, not fighting, and that the government and the ANC should sit down and talk.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
