stipulate

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verb stip·u·late \ ˈsti-pyə-ˌlāt \

Definition of stipulate

stipulated; stipulating

intransitive verb

1 :to make an agreement or covenant to do or forbear something :contract

2 :to demand an express term in an agreement —used with for

transitive verb

1 :to specify as a condition or requirement (as of an agreement or offer)

2 :to give a guarantee of

—

stipulator

play \-ˌlā-tər\ noun

See stipulate defined for English-language learners

See stipulate defined for kids

stipulate was our Word of the Day on 09/01/2007. Hear the podcast!

Examples of stipulate in a Sentence

The cease-fire was stipulated by the treaty.
The rules stipulate that players must wear uniforms.

Recent Examples of stipulate from the Web

City Attorney Steven Elrod said Monday the agreement also stipulates that the park district cannot alter the property in a way that materially reduces net revenue.

— karen berkowitz, chicagotribune.com, "Final decision looms on golf operations at Highland Park County Club," 29 Aug. 2017
Freddie Mac did not provide a specific reason for its abrupt change, but stipulated that lenders providing gifts or grants to borrowers should not charge higher interest rates or fees to recoup their investments.

— kenneth r. harney, miamiherald, "Maybe 1 percent-down mortgages are too good to be true," 2 Aug. 2017
Freddie Mac did not provide a specific reason for its abrupt change but stipulated that lenders providing gifts or grants to borrowers should not charge higher interest rates or fees to recoup their investments.

— kenneth r. harney, kansascity, "Freddie Mac pulls the plug on low down payment mortgage loans," 1 Aug. 2017
The budget also stipulates that such a bill should repeal the alternative minimum tax and reduces the corporate tax rate.

— alana abramson, Time, "House Republicans Have a New Budget. Here Are 3 Ways it Could Affect You," 18 July 2017
The legislation that Japan passed to implement The Hague provision forbids the use of force, and stipulates that the children must be retrieved from the premises of the parent who has taken them.

— anna fifield, Washington Post, "Japan signed abduction treaty but for ‘left-behind’ parents that doesn’t mean much," 16 July 2017
Maryland law stipulates that an initial response to a request must be made within 10 working days of receipt of the submission, and requests must be fulfilled within 30 days, unless there is an extension granted or the request is denied.

— kate magill, Columbia Flier, "Howard County schools launch website for Public Information Act requests," 14 July 2017
Typically, the company’s agreement with the rental car agency stipulates no young driver fee, so it’ll be waived.

— matt meltzer, Teen Vogue, "How to Rent a Car When You're Under 25," 6 July 2017
In addition to paying a $3 million fine, the Justice Department stipulated that Hobby Lobby would forfeit the objects.

— robert newhouse, Teen Vogue, "A Black Deliveryman Hasn’t Been Able To Return To Work After Being Given a Homemade Noose By a Butcher," 6 July 2017

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

Did You Know?

Like many terms used in the legal profession, "stipulate" has its roots in Latin. It derives from "stipulatus," the past participle of "stipulari," a verb meaning "to demand a guarantee (as from a prospective debtor)." "Stipulate" has been a part of the English language since the 17th century. In Roman law, oral contracts were deemed valid only if they followed a proper question-and-answer format; "stipulate" was sometimes used specifically of this process of contract making, though it also could be used more generally for any means of making a contract or agreement. The "specify as a condition or requirement" sense of the word also dates from the 17th century, and it is the sense that is most often encountered in current use.

Origin and Etymology of stipulate

Latin stipulatus, past participle of stipulari to demand a guarantee (from a prospective debtor)

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1624

See Words from the same year

stipulate

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adjective stip·u·late \ ˈsti-pyə-lət \

Definition of stipulate

:having stipules

Origin and Etymology of stipulate

New Latin stipula

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1776

See Words from the same year

Other Botany Terms

annual, burgeon, chloroplast, nomenclature, succulent, sylvan, xylem

STIPULATE Defined for English Language Learners

stipulate

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verb

Definition of stipulate for English Language Learners

: to demand or require (something) as part of an agreement

Law Dictionary

stipulate

play

verb stip·u·late \ ˈsti-pyə-ˌlāt \

legal Definition of stipulate

stipulated; stipulating

intransitive verb

1 :to make an agreement or covenant about something (as damages)

2 :to demand a particular promise in an agreement —used with for

may…assume or stipulate for obligations of all kinds
—Louisiana Civil Code

3 :to agree respecting an aspect of legal proceedings —used with to

stipulated to a dismissal of the claim with prejudice
—National Law Journal

pleaded guilty to the charge of battery and stipulated to the underlying facts
—Luna v. Meinke, 844 F. Supp. 1284 (1994)

transitive verb

1 :to specify especially as a condition or requirement of an agreement

parties may not stipulate the invalidity of statutes or ordinances
—West v. Bank of Commerce & Trusts, 167 F.2d 664 (1948)

the contract stipulated that the lessor was responsible for maintenance

within a stipulated period of time

2 :to establish (procedure or evidence) by agreement during a proceeding

defendant stipulated that evidence was sufficient to support his conspiracy conviction
—National Law Journal

based on stipulated facts

Origin and Etymology of stipulate

Latin stipulatus, past participle of stipulari to exact (as from a prospective debtor) a formal guarantee when making an oral contract

Learn More about stipulate

See words that rhyme with stipulate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for stipulate Spanish Central: Translation of stipulate Nglish: Translation of stipulate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of stipulate for Arabic speakers

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stipulate

Definition of stipulate

stipulator

Explore Merriam-Webster

stipulate was our Word of the Day on 09/01/2007. Hear the podcast!

Examples of stipulate in a Sentence

Recent Examples of stipulate from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of stipulate

stipulate

Definition of stipulate

Origin and Etymology of stipulate

Other Botany Terms

STIPULATE Defined for English Language Learners

stipulate

Definition of stipulate for English Language Learners

Law Dictionary

stipulate

legal Definition of stipulate

Origin and Etymology of stipulate

Learn More about stipulate

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