negotiation
Americannoun
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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:
In a post on X, Wangchuk - better known as "Sonam sir" - said he did so "after a long negotiation on various conditions" and also to avert "possible violence in the country".
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Some of its language suggests that, despite several briefings, he completely misunderstands the subject of uranium enrichment—crucial to any negotiation with Iran.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
But it became a consistent and central point of negotiation between the two allies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Is it possible to complete a credit-card debt settlement negotiation without ending up with bad credit?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Artemis hoped fervently that someone on the fairy team had the wit to spot the blunder he’d made during the negotiation session.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday afternoon, Trump continued to threaten further attacks while saying that negotiations were continuing.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
"The door to negotiations, once opened, should not be closed, and as long as there is hope for peace, it should not be given up," Wang said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
“The focus is likely to shift towards exemptions, country-specific negotiations, sectoral investigations and the risk of additional tariff rounds,” he added.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
However, interviewing for the survey ended on July 14, only shortly after the conflict in the Middle East escalated following a breakdown in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The rules of parley dictated that only the lieutenants could speak once negotiations had begun.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
