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:
"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
"For the security of our people and their right to life on their land are not subject to negotiation or bargaining."
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
“European and Asian gas markets find themselves in the high-priced part of yet another hope-disillusionment cycle of Middle East negotiation attempts,” says Jan-Eric Fahnrich from Rystad Energy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Moreno has shown no public interest in a third negotiation with the city, and the Angels’ current stadium lease extends through 2032, with the team having options to extend the lease through 2038.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Finally, after another full day of negotiation, everyone agreed that Branwell would not have to go home.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
The threat comes after trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canada broke down over tariff relief for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
That’s assuming, of course, that the latest breakdown in trade negotiations actually metastasizes into a full-blown trade war.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
He played a role in negotiations for the release of Russian-American citizen Ksenia Karelina's, who was jailed in Russia for over a year after being accused of providing support to Ukraine.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Fresh 50-percent US tariffs took effect on a range of Canadian goods Saturday, after trade negotiations collapsed the prior day at the eleventh hour.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
I tried to meet his eyes, but he was already caught up in quiet, intense negotiations with a handful of other students.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
