negotiation

American  

[ni-goh-shee-ey-shuhn, -see-] / nɪˌgoʊ ʃiˈeɪ ʃən, -si- /

noun

• negotiations
  plural

1. mutual discussion and arrangement of the terms of a transaction or agreement.

   the negotiation of a treaty.

2. the act or process of negotiating.

3. an instance or the result of negotiating.

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negotiation British  

/ nɪˌɡəʊʃɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. a discussion set up or intended to produce a settlement or agreement

2. the act or process of negotiating

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonnegotiation
  noun
• prenegotiation
  noun
• pronegotiation
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• negotiations
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

negotiation negotiations

"We will do everything that depends on us to ensure the safety of the negotiation process and mediators such as yourselves," Putin told Witkoff and Kushner.

From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026

Bringing any discrepancies — which are more common than you’d think — to the provider’s attention can be a good way to open the conversation for negotiation.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

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

When in English, ‘twas thus: “No, sir, this, this—Aye, you, this”—There was much negotiation, and a tune played or sung, taken up by others, learned by those newly hearing it.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Once the council is established, the top-player effort he has advised is expected to wind down, with a broader group of player representatives taking over direct negotiations with the Grand Slams.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

“A bullish trading stance still appears warranted, at least until some indication of renewed negotiations is forthcoming,” Ritterbusch & Associates says in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Kushner repeated much of Witkoff’s nonsense, saying that the point of negotiations is to produce a “win-win,” including some sort of favor that fulfills Russia’s “aspirations.”

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

"If they have even a shred of honour, the first thing they should do would be to stop the negotiations," he said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

But no Indigenous nations were represented at the treaty negotiations in Paris; they were not invited or consulted.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

• agreement
• arbitration
• compromise
• conference
• consultation
• debate
• diplomacy
• discussion
• intervention
• mediation
• meeting
• transaction