stipulate

verb stip·u·late \ ˈsti-pyə-ˌlāt \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Examples: stipulate in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

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

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stipulator

play \ˈsti-pyə-ˌlā-tər\ noun

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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

Documents and account transfer records revealed in the Mexican media suggest that the bribes to Mexican officials may have been as high as $16 million, far more than stipulated to by the company in testimony to the American Department of Justice.

— azam ahmed, New York Times, "Mexico Could Press Bribery Charges. It Just Hasn’t.," 11 June 2018
In early 2016, under Tu's leadership, the Minnesota dental school introduced a mandatory protocol stipulating that the first-line treatment for pain would be nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as high-dose ibuprofen.

— claudia wallis, Scientific American, "Why We Won’t Miss Opioids," 1 June 2018
La Mesa signed an agreement in March 2006 with the county stipulating that La Mesa would build a new library for the city within 10 years, and be finished in 2018.

— karen pearlman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "La Mesa, Santee library fans making pitch for new digs," 29 May 2018
The event’s dress code stipulated that women wear hats, after all.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "The Best Hats From the Royal Wedding," 19 May 2018
Because a 2012 law stipulated that anyone sentenced to more than two years in prison is ineligible to hold or run for public office for six years, Berlusconi had to relinquish his Senate seat.

— frances d'emilio, The Seattle Times, "Court rules Italy’s Berlusconi can run for office again," 12 May 2018
Most shows cost $25 but stipulate a two-drink minimum.

— steve heisler, Chicago Reader, "Arts / Comedy / Do This Zanies comedy club has lasted 40 years with an old-school stand-up model," 6 Apr. 2018
Barring that, other legislation would stipulate state allocations to both schools be split 50-50.

— dawn rhodes, chicagotribune.com, "Amid dispute, SIU leaders resist lawmakers' reform efforts," 30 May 2018
Federal law further stipulates that goods can’t be bought and sold within the zones, so under-the-radar handoffs aren’t possible either.

— atossa araxia abrahamian, Longreads, "Tax-Free Storage Wars," 29 May 2018

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.