negotiation

noun ne·go·ti·a·tion \ ni-ˌgō-shē-ˈā-shən , nonstandard -sē- \

|Updated on: 15 Jul 2018

Examples: negotiation in a Sentence

Definition of negotiation

: the action or process of negotiating or being negotiated —often used in plural

Negotiations between the two governments have failed to produce an agreement.

See negotiation defined for English-language learners

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 of negotiation from the Web

At the Swedish Mission to the UN, in addition to her focus on migration and humanitarian issues, Fernström Nåtby attended negotiations on a new rulebook meant to uphold people’s rights to a sound environment through the weight of international law.

— mejs hasan, WIRED, "The Ultimate Carbon-Saving Tip? Travel by Cargo Ship," 12 July 2018
After the Texas Supreme Court shot down the city’s petition, city reps tried to put a smiley face on the fiasco by arguing that the decision left the firefighters with no excuses to avoid negotiation.

— gilbert garcia, San Antonio Express-News, "Court cases demonstrate Sculley’s disregard for process," 11 July 2018
At the core of its negotiation position are the four pillars of the single EU market: freedom of movement for goods, services, capital, and people.

— peter ford, The Christian Science Monitor, "As clock ticks down, Britain finally reveals its plan for Brexit. What now?," 11 July 2018
While the Rockets' negotiations with center Clint Capela remain a stalemate, their offer has been much closer to Capela's demands that had been described in recent days.

— jonathan feigen, Houston Chronicle, "Rockets optimistic on re-signing Clint Capela," 11 July 2018
And most notably for his own legacy as a general manager, West worked himself into a frazzle in the summer of 1996 to lure free-agent Shaquille O'Neal to the Lakers, days of nonstop negotiation that landed West in the hospital.

— jack mccallum, SI.com, "Go West, Big Man: The Logo on LeBron James and the Allure of Los Angeles," 11 July 2018
Trump’s negotiations to alter the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada were bogged down for all of 2017 and still have not resulted in a new agreement.

— brooks jackson, Philly.com, "Trump's Numbers (Second Quarterly Update) | FactCheck," 11 July 2018
Officials in both nations say there are currently no negotiations scheduled.

— bob davis, WSJ, "U.S. Unveils Additional Tariffs on $200 Billion More in Chinese Imports," 10 July 2018
Lastly, when negotiations over a specific piece of land or project reach an impasse, the act needs to provide a way forward that fosters species recovery.

— peter s. alagona, Outside Online, "The Endangered Species Act Needs a Reboot," 9 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'negotiation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of negotiation

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

negotiation Synonyms

Synonyms

accommodation, compromise, concession, give-and-take;

Related Words

haggle, horse trade;

accord, arrangement, bargain, concurrence, consensus, deal, understanding;

agreement, settlement;

mediation, treaty;

Financial Definition of NEGOTIATION

negotiation

noun

What It Is

Negotiation is a process in which two or more parties resolve a dispute or come to a mutual agreement.

How It Works

Negotiations occur all the time in the business world, and they are often strategic in nature. In many cases, they require a good legal education and a good financial education so that the parties can understand each other, make sound decisions, and understand the potential consequences of those decisions.

Negotiation often takes place in these business situations:

1. Company A and Company B want to merge but must agree on price, financing, and management changes.
2. John Doe wants a job with Company XYZ but must negotiate his salary and benefits.
3. Company A wants to purchase supplies from Company B on certain payment terms.
4. Company A wants Company B to become a customer.
5. John Doe is suing Jane Smith, and Jane Smith offers to settle out of court for a certain amount of money.
6. Union ABC wants higher wages and pension contributions from Company XYZ.
7. Jane Smith wants to buy a house from John Doe.

Why It Matters

The list is endless. The important thing to remember is that negotiation is not necessarily adversarial; it often is a strategic process. The objective is to come up with an agreement that benefits all parties. Sometimes parties must give up some things, but this is indeed part of the negotiation, and giving something up frequently allows for gains in other areas of the negotiation.

The best negotiators prepare themselves by studying the situation extensively before entering the negotiating room. They also consider deadlines, timing, cultural expectations, personalities, and the distribution of information in their negotiating strategies.

Source: Investing Answers