negotiation

noun

ne·​go·​ti·​a·​tion ni-ˌgō-shē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce negotiation (audio)
nonstandard
-sē- How to pronounce negotiation (audio)
: the action or process of negotiating or being negotiated
often used in plural
Negotiations between the two governments have failed to produce an agreement.

Examples of negotiation in a Sentence

We need a negotiation between the townspeople and mayor over the site of the new library. She is skilled at negotiation. The college president was against any negotiation with the students.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Scott and Jacob also touch on MLS teams’ $41 million Club World Cup haul, with a portion of that money headed to players, pending negotiation between the league and union. Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025 And if so, should more adjustments be made to the salary cap during the next CBA negotiations, to ensure these teams do not continue to separate themselves from the rest of the league? Tyler Small, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 Instead, Dermer was reportedly sent to Washington to ensure the U.S. and Israel are aligned before indirect negotiations continue. Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025 The Bulls will want to negotiate this number down — which is more easily accomplished by compromising on a longer contract — but their commitment to the guard has been fairly clear in the build-up to these negotiations. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for negotiation

Word History

Etymology

Middle English negociacion "dealing with people," borrowed from Latin negōtiātiōn-, negōtiātiō "business, trade," from negōtiārī "to do business, trade, deal" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns — more at negotiate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of negotiation was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Negotiation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/negotiation. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on negotiation

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