parley

verb

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par·ley | \ ˈpär-lē

parleyed; parleying

Definition of parley

(Entry 1 of 3)

intransitive verb

: to speak with another : confer specifically : to discuss terms with an enemy The government refused to parley with the rebels.

parley

noun

plural parleys

Definition of parley (Entry 2 of 3)

1a : a conference for discussion of points in dispute

b : a conference with an enemy

2 : discussion

Parley

biographical name

Definition of Parley (Entry 3 of 3)

Peter — see Samuel Griswold goodrich

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About parley

Examples of parley in a Sentence

Verb in an effort to win the goodwill of the locals, the developers parleyed with them before finalizing plans for the massive mall Noun held a parley to debate the proposed change in the town's zoning laws can we meet for an informal parley to see if we can effect a compromise?

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb In May, delegates from the Dobson Noise Coalition parleyed with delegates from CyrusOne, including an acoustic consultant the company had hired. — Bianca Bosker, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2019 Generations of Indian bureaucrats had parleyed with them to try winning over Kashmiris, greasing the wheels with subsidies. — The Economist, 8 Aug. 2019 The tectonic buzz and growl of a didgeridoo, played with athletic skill by Harry Wilson, parleyed with the music, then settled beneath it like bedrock. — Matthew Guerrieri, Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2019 Iran’s reluctance to parley comes from the very top. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2019 But they are flattered that outsiders are interested, and insist on their right to parley with all comers. — The Economist, 24 Aug. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Still, that failed Kendall and Logan parley is on another level from everything else in the hour. — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 6 Dec. 2021 Still, the mood surrounding Biden’s European parley is certain to represent an improvement over the recent past. — Washington Post, 15 June 2021 It has been built on the side of a canal inside the Arsenale, the spiked tops of its piles visible from a distance, with the hopes that both Mapuche and Chileans could travel to Venice and hold a parley, or traditional negotiation. — Colleen Barry, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 May 2021 The 2020 Republican convention focused on issues in a way that the Democratic parley did not. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 30 Aug. 2020 Zarif has said the U.S. must lift sanctions before such a parley. — Eli Lake, Twin Cities, 12 Sep. 2019 Those categories are for individuals who do not seek to join the U.S., but rather represent nations seeking to parley with—or conquer—it. — Jess Bravin, WSJ, 30 Oct. 2018 North Korea is also threatening to scrap the Singapore parley unless denuclearization is taken off the agenda. — Nicholas Eberstadt, WSJ, 23 May 2018 Three days before Christmas 1945, Marshall arrived at a small stone bungalow in Chongqing to begin a series of parleys aimed at ending 18 years of civil war. — James D. Hornfischer, WSJ, 3 May 2018

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

History and Etymology for parley

Verb

derivative of parley entry 2

Noun

Middle English parlay "speech," borrowed from Anglo-French parlee, parly "speech, conversation, debate," probably noun derivative from feminine of parlé, past participle of parler "to speak, talk," going back to early Medieval Latin parabolāre, noun derivative of Late Latin parabola "comparison, allegory, proverb, discourse, speech" — more at parable