What does "negotiate" mean?
To confer with others in order to come to terms or reach an agreement.
Negotiate
/nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/ verb
verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To confer with others in order to come to terms or reach an agreement.
- Grammar: negotiate is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abalienate, act between, adjust, adjust.
- Useful contrasts: conflicted, conflicting, arbitrating.
- Usage evidence: We delegated him to negotiate with them.
How to use "negotiate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "negotiate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "negotiate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "negotiate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "negotiate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "negotiate" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abalienate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "negotiate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To confer with others in order to come to terms or reach an agreement. intransitive
"1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., to the eight fellow clergymen who opposed the civil rights action, "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Why We Can't Wait "You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.""
- 2 discuss the terms of an arrangement wordnet
- 3 To arrange or settle something by mutual agreement. transitive
"We negotiated the contract to everyone's satisfaction."
- 4 succeed in passing through, around, or over wordnet
- 5 To succeed in coping with, getting over or navigate a hazard or obstacle. transitive
"We negotiated the mountain track with difficulty."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To transfer to another person with all the rights of the original holder; to pass, as a bill. transitive
- 7 To transact business; to carry on trade. obsolete
"Jews, Turks, Armenians,[…]negotiating in this famous Emporium."
- 8 To intrigue; to scheme. obsolete
"Certaine it is, shee was a busie negotiating woman."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"We delegated him to negotiate with them."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "negotiate"?
Common synonyms include: abalienate, act between, adjust, adjust, advise with, agree.
How do you use "negotiate" in a sentence?
We delegated him to negotiate with them.
How do you pronounce "negotiate"?
Pronounced /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/.
Etymology
c. 1598; borrowed from Latin negōtiātus, perfect active participle of negōtior (“to do business, trade”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from negotium (“business”) + -or, from nec (“not”) + otium (“leisure, ease, inactivity”).