negotiate
verb
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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."
Examples of negotiate in a Sentence
John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
The acquisition was negotiated by Miles Fineburg representing Samuel Goldwyn Films, with Studiocanal’s team including Chloe Marquet (head of international sales), Charlotte Lopez (senior VP of international sales) and Sophie Leuthreau (head of business and legal affairs international distribution).
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Apr. 2025
Even an indication that the White House is willing to negotiate with trading partners could help stem the losses.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2025
During his first term, Trump abandoned the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by President Barack Obama and reinstated sanctions in an attempt to put maximum pressure on the country.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for negotiate
Cite this Entry
“Negotiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/negotiate. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
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negotiate
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negotiate
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