negotiable
Americanadjective
-
capable of being negotiated.
a negotiable salary demand.
-
(of bills, securities, etc.) transferable by delivery, with or without endorsement, according to the circumstances, the title passing to the transferee.
noun
adjective
-
able to be negotiated
-
(of a bill of exchange, promissory note, etc) legally transferable in title from one party to another
Other Word Forms
- negotiability noun
- nonnegotiability noun
- nonnegotiable adjective
- unnegotiable adjective
Etymology
Origin of negotiable
First recorded in 1750–60; negoti(ate) + -able
Explanation
If you're told that a price is negotiable, that means you can talk it over until you reach an agreement. So don't start with your highest offer. Negotiable can also mean that a road or path can be used. Since the avalanche, you've found that many of the local roads are no longer negotiable. If you can pass on a possession to someone else, making them the owner, then it's said to be negotiable. The "t" in negotiable is pronounced "sh."
Vocabulary lists containing negotiable
Power Suffix: -able
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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.
"The Messi deal is intriguing because it includes massive links with brands like Adidas and Apple - it's far more complex than just football so everything is negotiable," says Maguire.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
He also said Iran's missile programme was "never negotiable" because it relates to a "defence issue".
From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026
If markets conclude that tariff threats are ultimately negotiable rather than structural, volatility compresses and gold loses one of its key supports.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 26, 2026
Severance agreements are sometimes negotiable, she adds, so consider what your priorities would be.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025
Adams was distinctive, however, for his tendency to regard even serious political and ideological differences as eminently negotiable once elemental bonds of personal trust and affection were established.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
