parley

[pahr-lee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR parley ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural par·leys.

a discussion or conference.

an informal conference between enemies under a truce, especially to discuss terms, conditions of surrender, etc.

verb (used without object), par·leyed, par·ley·ing.

to hold an informal conference with an enemy under a truce, as between active hostilities.

to speak, talk, or confer.

Origin of parley

1400–50; late Middle English parlai < Middle French parlee, noun use of feminine of parle, past participle of parler to parle

Related formspar·ley·er, noun

Synonyms for parley

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR parley ON THESAURUS.COM

1. talk, conversation. 4. discuss, converse.

Parley

[pahr-lee]

noun

Peter, pen name of Samuel Griswald Goodrich.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for parley

conference, confab, huddle, discussion, conversation, consult, palaver, debate, talk

Examples from the Web for parley

Contemporary Examples of parley

Not that the Colombian parley was ever going to be easy diplomacy.
Cartagena Summit’s Other Outrage: Obama’s Indifference to Latin Issues
Mac Margolis
April 27, 2012

Historical Examples of parley

To begin with, Mrs Merdle is the lady you had the parley with at what's-his-name place.'
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens
Each door and barrier, too, was guarded by soldiers, with whom the brothers had to parley.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
Do you two get on as fast as you can and leave us to the parley.
The House Under the Sea
Sir Max Pemberton
Don't you be listening to a woman's parley, for it's all nonsense.
The House Under the Sea
Sir Max Pemberton
The servant, after some parley, led him through the house and out at the back door.
England, Picturesque and Descriptive
Joel Cook

British Dictionary definitions for parley

parley

noun

a discussion, esp between enemies under a truce to decide terms of surrender, etc

verb

(intr) to discuss, esp with an enemy under a truce

(tr) to speak (a foreign language)

Derived Formsparleyer, noun

Word Origin for parley

C16: from French, from parler to talk, from Medieval Latin parabolāre, from Late Latin parabola speech, parable

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for parley

"conference, speech," especially with an enemy, mid-15c., from Middle French parlée, from fem. past participle of Old French parler "to speak" (11c.), from Vulgar Latin *paraulare, from Late Latin parabolare "to speak (in parables)," from parabola "speech, discourse," from Latin parabola "comparison" (see parable).

late 14c., "to speak, talk, confer," probably a separate borrowing of Old French parler "to speak" (see parley (n.)). Related: Parleyed; parleying. Meaning "to discuss terms" is 1560s, from the noun.