negotiate
Americanverb (used without object)
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negotiates,
present (3rd person singular)
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negotiated,
past participle, past
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negotiating
present participle
verb (used with object)
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negotiates,
present (3rd person singular)
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negotiated,
past participle, past
-
negotiating
present participle
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to arrange for or bring about by discussion and settlement of terms.
to negotiate a loan.
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to manage; transact; conduct.
He negotiated an important business deal.
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to move through, around, or over in a satisfactory manner.
to negotiate a difficult dance step without tripping: to negotiate sharp curves.
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to transfer (a draft, promissory note, etc.) to a new owner by endorsement and delivery or by delivery.
verb
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to work or talk (with others) to achieve (a transaction, an agreement, etc)
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(tr) to succeed in passing through, around, or over
to negotiate a mountain pass
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(tr) finance
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to transfer (a negotiable commercial paper) by endorsement to another in return for value received
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to sell (financial assets)
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to arrange for (a loan)
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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negotiatesimple
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negotiatessimple
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have negotiatedperfect
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has negotiatedperfect
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am negotiatingprogressive
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are negotiatingprogressive
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is negotiatingprogressive
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have been negotiatingperfect progressive
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has been negotiatingperfect progressive
Past
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negotiatedsimple
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had negotiatedperfect
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was negotiatingprogressive
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were negotiatingprogressive
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had been negotiatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of negotiate
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin negōtiātus “traded,” past participle of negōtiārī “to do business, trade,” verb derivative of negōtium “business,” from nec, neg- “not” ( cf. neglect ( def. )) + ōtium “leisure”
Explanation
To negotiate is to try to work out an agreement between parties that each want something out of the deal. You might negotiate with your mom — offering to do more chores for a raise in your allowance. Good luck. Negotiation is all about give and take. Governments are always negotiating with unions, trying to define the terms of new contracts. The government might offer the teachers union a raise, if they agree to work 200 days a year instead of 180. The verb negotiate can also mean to successfully pass through or travel along. You may have to negotiate a hazardous road, or a tricky path through sticker bushes.
Vocabulary lists containing negotiate
Chains
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Vocabulary from the First Presidential Debate: September 26, 2016
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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:
Only a rejuvenated Palestinian Authority can represent the Palestinian people on the world stage and negotiate a lasting peace with Israel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Powell, who helped negotiate the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland, said it was "very important to maintain contact with Putin and the Russians".
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
He added that he didn't "negotiate ministerial posts before election results," meaning it would later be decided which positions would be given to the Sweden Democrats.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
The next step for the union is to negotiate a contract with Uber and Lyft that meets drivers’ demands, including health insurance, support for high gas prices and more transparency around pay.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
The man was bargaining, he realized, offering to negotiate.
From "Among the Hidden" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Though it negotiates from a position of weakness, it frames survival itself as victory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
She tours major international defence shows, negotiates with arms manufacturers and takes part in discussions on Europe's rearmament.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
If that is the case, Iran may be attempting to establish a new regional reality: one in which it negotiates from a position of strength while actively enforcing its own red lines.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
The actors union’s new agreement with the trade group that negotiates with Hollywood unions on behalf of the major studios will reportedly improve AI protections and boost the guild’s pension fund.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2026
He is behaving much as he does with his parents — he reasons, negotiates, and jokes with equal ease.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
He was released in 2023 as part of a negotiated prisoner exchange with Venezuela under then-president Joe Biden.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
While exact provisions are still being negotiated, the expectation is that the credit will be stackable with states’ incentives — similar to how Canada’s tax credit works.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Similar deals at Audi and Porsche brought German job losses negotiated by Blume’s team to 50,000, out of a global workforce of around 680,000 at the end of 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
The seller wanted to get rid of the property quickly, so Charles and his real-estate agent negotiated the sale price down to $80,000.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
He believed the president was moving too slowly to find a negotiated settlement.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
The two countries have been twin pillars of the economic, geostrategic alliance called the West, and the White House is wagering their interdependencies will drag Canada back to the negotiating table, concessions in hand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
But talks broke down in dramatic fashion, leaving both sides aggrieved and accusing the other of negotiating in bad faith.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The researchers are now negotiating with the construction company for permission to return to the site and continue excavating.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
Witkoff, a business ally of US President Donald Trump, traveled to Russia and Ukraine over the weekend alongside negotiating partner Jared Kushner, who is Trump's son-in-law.
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
In the evenings, visitors—company people negotiating deals, government people negotiating bribes, factory people negotiating jobs—dropped by, parking their cars near the entrance to the orchard.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
