transactional

American  

[tran-sak-shuh-nuhl, -zak-] / trænˈsæk ʃə nəl, -ˈzæk- /

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.

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Other Word Forms

• transactionally adverb

Etymology

Origin of transactional

transaction ( def. ) + -al ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Epstein considered himself a "people collector" who made connections for transactional purposes, Mr Levine said.

From BBC

Kahn’s recruitment was more transactional, according to people familiar with the events.

From The Wall Street Journal

Perhaps Emilia Petrarca, who writes the Substack “Shop Rat,” puts it best: “Even if you’re just browsing, you’re still being welcomed into a space and asked about your wants and needs. It’s someone’s job to listen to you and give you attention. In times like these, people really crave human interaction and that sense of care, even if it’s transactional.”

From Los Angeles Times

The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse - which tracks immigration data - found that just over 70% of the nearly 60,000 people held at the end of September had no criminal record.

From BBC

Nearly three-quarters of immigrants in ICE detention as of September have no criminal convictions, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• debatable
• transferable