negotiate

verb

ne·​go·​ti·​ate ni-ˈgō-shē-ˌāt 

nonstandard

-sē- 

negotiated; negotiating

intransitive verb

: to confer with another so as to arrive at the settlement of some matter

Teachers are negotiating for higher salaries.

transitive verb

1

a

: to deal with (some matter or affair that requires ability for its successful handling) : manage

negotiated his business deals with remarkable skill

b

: to arrange for or bring about through conference, discussion, and compromise

negotiate a treaty

2

a

: to transfer (something, such as a bill of exchange) to another by delivery or endorsement (see endorse sense 1d)

b

: to convert into cash or the equivalent value

negotiate a check

3

a

: to successfully travel along or over

negotiate a turn

b

: complete, accomplish

negotiate the trip in two hours

negotiator

ni-ˈgō-shē-ˌā-tər 

nonstandard -sē-

noun

negotiatory

ni-ˈgō-sh(ē-)ə-ˌtȯr-ē 

nonstandard

-sē- 

adjective

Did you know?

The Controversial History of Negotiate

Negotiate found its way into the English language from the Latin verb negōtiārī, meaning "to do business, trade, or deal." Since its arrival, this word has developed a variety of applications. The "doing business" sense is still going strong: in addition to its most common use in situations where formal decisions (such as a price to be paid) are made by way of discussion, negotiate is also used to talk about the transfer or conversion of money, as in the phrase "negotiate a check." Negotiate has applications outside of commerce, too; it is sometimes used to mean "to successfully travel along or over," as when a cyclist is said to "negotiate mountainous terrain."

Synonyms of negotiate

• arrange
• conclude

Examples of negotiate in a Sentence

The customer wanted to negotiate over the price.

She has good negotiating skills.

We negotiated a fair price.

The driver carefully negotiated the winding road.

Recent Examples on the Web

Another negotiating committee member abruptly resigns and a senior biomedical technician disappears. —Danielle Parker, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026

Stewart told reporters Thursday at an Unrivaled practice that the players would continue to negotiate in good faith. —Doug Feinberg, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026

Traditionally, the first of the three unionn to negotiate — often, the DGA — has set a pattern for the other two. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026

Trump did not issue symbolic warnings or negotiate against himself. —Jason D. Greenblatt, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin negōtiātus, past participle of negōtiārī "to do business, trade, deal," derivative of negōtium "work, business, difficulty, annoyance," from nec "not" + ōtium "free time, leisure, tranquility," of obscure origin — more at neglect entry 1

Note: The sense "to confer in order to arrive at a settlement" is probably based on Middle French negocier or Italian negoziare, which had developed this sense, not belonging to the Latin source, by the mid-16th century.

First Known Use

circa 1598, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for negotiate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

negotiate

verb

ne·​go·​ti·​ate ni-ˈgō-shē-ˌāt 

negotiated; negotiating

1

a

: to have a discussion with another so as to arrive at an agreement

b

: to arrange for or bring about by such discussion

negotiate a treaty

2

: to transfer to another in return for something of equal value

negotiate a check

3

: to get through, around, or over successfully

negotiate a turn

negotiation

-ˌgō-shē-ˈā-shən, 

-sē-

noun

negotiator

-ˈgō-shē-ˌāt-ər 

noun

Legal Definition

negotiate

verb

ne·​go·​ti·​ate ni-ˈgō-shē-ˌāt 

negotiated; negotiating

intransitive verb

: to confer with another so as to settle some matter

transitive verb

1

: to bring about through conference, discussion, and agreement or compromise

negotiate a contract

2

a

: to transfer (as an instrument) to another by delivery or endorsement

b

: to convert into cash or the equivalent value

negotiate a check

negotiation

ni-ˌgō-shē-ˈā-shən 

noun

negotiator

ni-ˈgō-shē-ˌā-tər 

noun