stipulate
1 Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
to arrange expressly or specify in terms of agreement.
to stipulate a price.
-
to require as an essential condition in making an agreement.
Total disarmament was stipulated in the peace treaty.
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to promise, in making an agreement.
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Law. to accept (a proposition) without requiring that it be established by proof.
to stipulate the existence of certain facts or that an expert witness is qualified.
adjective
verb
-
(tr; may take a clause as object) to specify, often as a condition of an agreement
-
to insist (on) as a term of an agreement
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Roman law to make (an oral contract) in the form of question and answer necessary to render it legally valid
-
(tr; may take a clause as object) to guarantee or promise
adjective
Other Word Forms
- stipulable adjective
- stipulation noun
- stipulator noun
- stipulatory adjective
Etymology
Origin of stipulate1
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin stipulātus (past participle of stipulārī “to demand a formal agreement”), apparently equivalent to stipul- ( stipule ) + -ātus -ate 1
Origin of stipulate2
From the New Latin word stipulātus, dating back to 1770–80. See stipule, -ate 1
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.
The documents stipulate the couple held a trust worth $200 million — all of which would become Michael’s in the event of Kerri’s death.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
What became known as the Turing Test doesn’t stipulate how a machine achieves this.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
Let’s stipulate that nobody should be surprised by VanDyke’s conduct.
From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026
Collective contracts in Italy set mandatory minimums for salaries and stipulate working conditions.
From Barron's • Nov. 28, 2025
“This conclave cannot stipulate how I train my apprentices! It is my sole right to teach them, train them, and discipline them!”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
