stipulate

1 of 2

verb

stip·​u·​late ˈsti-pyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce stipulate (audio)
stipulated; stipulating

intransitive verb

1
: to make an agreement or covenant to do or forbear something : contract
2
: to demand an express term in an agreement
used with for

transitive verb

1
: to specify as a condition or requirement (as of an agreement or offer)
2
: to give a guarantee of
stipulator noun

stipulate

2 of 2

adjective

stip·​u·​late ˈsti-pyə-lət How to pronounce stipulate (audio)
: having stipules

Did you know?

Like many terms used in the legal profession, stipulate has its roots in Latin. It derives from stipulatus, the past participle of stipulari, a verb meaning "to demand a guarantee (from a prospective debtor)." Stipulate has been a part of the English language since the 17th century. In Roman law, oral contracts were deemed valid only if they followed a proper question-and-answer format; stipulate was sometimes used specifically of this same process of contract making, though it also could be used more generally for any means of making a contract or agreement. The "to specify as a condition or requirement" meaning of stipulate also dates to the 17th century, and is the sense of the word most often encountered in current use.

Examples of stipulate in a Sentence

Verb The cease-fire was stipulated by the treaty. The rules stipulate that players must wear uniforms.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
But President Kenneth Kaunda marked the moment by stipulating that 95% of music on the radio must be of Zambian origin. Tracy Kawalik, SPIN, 5 Mar. 2024 Gaston Group also neglected to keep accurate records as stipulated by the Fair Labor Standards Act, according to the release. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2024 There is a world where a user can ask a chatbot to cast one app from your phone to your TV (instead of the entire phone screen), stipulate that notifications are not shown on the big screen, and to also set a timer for how long the casting session lasts for. Janhoi McGregor, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The rules stipulate the player only has to perform duties until the Giants’ starting pitcher comes out of the game. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2024 Five Democrats introduced a bill in the Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday that stipulates that embryos outside of a uterus are neither unborn children nor human beings under state law. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024 Paul’s wishes stipulated that both teams should be sold at some point. Ira Boudway, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2024 The plan stipulated that all hostages would be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, including senior militants, and an end to the war. Matthew Lee, arkansasonline.com, 8 Feb. 2024 When wealth is transferred via a trust, for example, the donor can stipulate any number of requirements before a distribution is given. Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Federal guidelines stipulate hospitals should report staffed inpatient and ICU beds to the Department of Health and Human Services. Daniel Funke, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2021 The Browns are currently working through protocols in the wake of new NFL guidelines that stipulate fans must remain 20 feet from players at all times. cleveland, 20 June 2021 To address this, some schools were willing stipulate achievements on the assumption that games were played. Erick Smith, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2021 There are some interesting financial implications in the contract that stipulate cancellations of games could lead to payment of $500,000 of the canceling teams. Sam Blum, Dallas News, 11 Aug. 2020 The terms of that agreement stipulate partners can withdraw early without financial penalty after giving 30-day notice. oregonlive, 19 June 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stipulate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin stipulatus, past participle of stipulari to demand a guarantee (from a prospective debtor)

Adjective

New Latin stipula

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1624, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Adjective

circa 1776, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stipulate was circa 1624

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Dictionary Entries Near stipulate

Cite this Entry

“Stipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stipulate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stipulate

verb
stip·​u·​late
ˈstip-yə-ˌlāt
stipulated; stipulating
: to demand or insist on as part of an agreement

Legal Definition

stipulate

verb
stip·​u·​late ˈsti-pyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce stipulate (audio)
stipulated; stipulating

intransitive verb

1
: to make an agreement or covenant about something (as damages)
2
: to demand a particular promise in an agreement
used with for
may…assume or stipulate for obligations of all kindsLouisiana Civil Code
3
: to agree respecting an aspect of legal proceedings
used with to
stipulated to a dismissal of the claim with prejudiceNational Law Journal
pleaded guilty to the charge of battery and stipulated to the underlying factsLuna v. Meinke, 844 F. Supp. 1284 (1994)

transitive verb

1
: to specify especially as a condition or requirement of an agreement
parties may not stipulate the invalidity of statutes or ordinancesWest v. Bank of Commerce & Trusts, 167 F.2d 664 (1948)
the contract stipulated that the lessor was responsible for maintenance
within a stipulated period of time
2
: to establish (procedure or evidence) by agreement during a proceeding
defendant stipulated that evidence was sufficient to support his conspiracy convictionNational Law Journal
based on stipulated facts
Etymology

Verb

Latin stipulatus, past participle of stipulari to exact (as from a prospective debtor) a formal guarantee when making an oral contract

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