negotiable

adjective

ne·​go·​tia·​ble ni-ˈgō-sh(ē-)ə-bəl 

: capable of being negotiated: such as

a

: transferable from one person to another by being delivered with or without endorsement (see endorse sense 1d) so that the title passes to the transferee (see transferee sense 1)

negotiable securities

b

: capable of being traversed, dealt with, or accomplished

a difficult but negotiable road

some kind of agreement was negotiable

c

: open to discussion or dispute

The terms of the contract are negotiable.

The price was not negotiable.

negotiability

ni-ˌgō-sh(ē-)ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

Synonyms of negotiable

• navigable

Examples of negotiable in a Sentence

The terms of the contract are negotiable.

The price was not negotiable.

a rough but negotiable road

Recent Examples on the Web

Introduced in a 2011 agreement between the union and league, the scale forces all draftees (typically between ages 21 and 23) into non-negotiable, four-year contracts usually below market value. — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 6 July 2026

But when non-negotiable tasks are framed as questions, children can become confused about whether the task is actually optional. — Siggie Cohen, CNBC, 4 July 2026

Compression packing cubes are non-negotiable, as is a pair of flip-flops that can go from sightseeing to dinner, not to mention reliable jeans and a roomy tote that somehow fits everything. — Iman Balagam, InStyle, 3 July 2026

Cobalt is the quiet backbone of modern industry, acting as a non-negotiable ingredient in many items from EV batteries to military jet engines and defense systems. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

negoti(ate) + -able, perhaps after French négociable

First Known Use

1758, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for negotiable

• sociable
• nonnegotiable
• unsociable

Kids Definition

negotiable

adjective

ne·​go·​tia·​ble ni-ˈgō-sh(ē-)ə-bəl 

: capable of being negotiated: as

a

: capable of being passed from one person to another without being signed in return for something of equal value

negotiable bonds

b

: capable of being traveled over, dealt with, or accomplished

negotiable roads

some kind of agreement was negotiable

c

: open to discussion or change

negotiable prices

negotiability

-ˌgō-sh(ē-)ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

Legal Definition

negotiable

adjective

ne·​go·​tia·​ble ni-ˈgō-shə-bəl 

: capable of being negotiated

especially : transferable from one party to another by delivery with or without endorsement so that title passes to the transferee

negotiable securities

a negotiable certificate of deposit

see also negotiable instrument

negotiability

ni-ˌgō-shə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun