negotiation
Americannoun
-
mutual discussion and arrangement of the terms of a transaction or agreement.
the negotiation of a treaty.
-
the act or process of negotiating.
-
an instance or the result of negotiating.
noun
-
a discussion set up or intended to produce a settlement or agreement
-
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)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Marriage is a Private Affair" by Chinua Achebe
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
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
Many job seekers are employing artificial intelligence to rehearse asking for a higher salary by using large language models like Claude or ChatGPT to practice a mock negotiation.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
His son could learn negotiation, sales and public speaking—tools he didn’t fully develop until his 20s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Even if he thought it was his best offer, it’s now just the floor of the negotiation.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Iran’s foreign ministry said Monday that the U.S. had exchanged messages with Tehran but wouldn’t call it negotiations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Fans wanted Fury and Joshua to meet when both were world champions and at the peak of their powers rather than after years of negotiations, failed talks and defeats.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
US President Donald Trump voiced optimism Monday that diplomacy with Iran could produce a deal to end the months-long war, but warned that Washington would resume military strikes if negotiations failed.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Others, including Thaler, said the country’s leaders could use elections as a bargaining chip in future negotiations with the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
But successful negotiations required a French government sufficiently stable and adequately impressed with American power to bargain seriously.
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.
