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:
John Yarmuth, a Democratic congressman from Kentucky who was also part of the House negotiation, said Becerra was “an amazing positive force” in the process.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
The rules state that the obligation to supply a team without an engine falls initially on the engine manufacturer with the least customers, although these things are all subject to negotiation.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
In an interview, French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said he is open to negotiation but will do “whatever it takes” to get the budget through.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The monitoring of and restricted access to devices instead should come through negotiation, even when you are dealing with someone who is very recalcitrant.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
The trick to negotiation was to hold all the cards going in, and even if you didn’t, to try to look as though you did.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
A judge determined that type of development agreement requires negotiations and public hearings, not just a voter initiative.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
Japan’s largest labor union group, Rengo, will demand wage hikes of at least 5% at the spring shunto negotiations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Nevertheless, Zuckerberg secured a deal with a special committee at Meta after "robust", and "at several points, contentious" negotiations.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
But after months of negotiations, he’s staying put — and Meta shareholders are about to see a whole new class of stock.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
I never sought to undermine Mr. de Klerk, for the practical reason that the weaker he was, the weaker the negotiations process.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
