transactional

[ tran-sak-shuh-nuhl, -zak- ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the process of conducting business:

   A leading authority on ethical issues in commercial practice, she has designed classes and materials to teach students transactional skills.

2. of or relating to personal or social interaction characterized by mutual influence and exchange:

   The teacher questioned each pair of students in turn about the transactional nature of the role play—how their partner's statements or behavior shaped their own.

3. of or relating to an attitude in which personal interaction revolves around cost and benefit:

   There is a shift toward a more transactional relationship between a synagogue and its congregants, where the focus is often on dues and program fees.

Other Words From

• trans·ac·tion·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of transactional¹

transaction ( def ) + -al ¹( def )

Example Sentences

Although his first administration famously waged a trade war with Beijing, Trump’s attitude toward the island of Taiwan is bluntly transactional.

From Salon

Both are brazenly transactional, and cling tenaciously to grudges.

From Los Angeles Times

Dan Ujczo, a trade lawyer at the Ohio-based firm Thompson Hine, drew a distinction between Monday’s tariff announcement, which he said was “very tactical and transactional, targeted for a specific purpose,” and Trump’s plans on universal tariffs and those aimed at China.

From Los Angeles Times

Baptist cleric Daniel Wambua added that religious leaders were now determined to end the "transactional relationship" with the state.

From BBC

“He can hold a bigger picture in his head, and I’m sure it will not be simply transactional.”

From BBC

Related Words

• debatable
• transferable