negotiation

noun

ne·​go·​ti·​a·​tion ni-ˌgō-shē-ˈā-shən 

nonstandard

-sē- 

: the action or process of negotiating or being negotiated

—often used in plural

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

Synonyms of negotiation

• compromise
• consensus

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

In June, city leaders went through grueling budget negotiations to close the city's nearly $1 billion deficit. —Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 13 Dec. 2025

Trump’s administration could be trying to play it safe ahead of the president’s April meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, hoping not to jeopardize any deals or negotiations, Sacks posited. —Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 12 Dec. 2025

Republicans say negotiations on continuing those credits should happen after the Senate approves a funding resolution. —Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2025

Republicans and Democrats never engaged in meaningful or high-level negotiations on a solution, even after a small group of centrist Democrats struck a deal with Republicans last month to end the shutdown in exchange for a vote. —Arkansas Online, 12 Dec. 2025

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

Phrases Containing negotiation

• in negotiation
• open to negotiation
• under negotiation

Rhymes for negotiation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration