Negotiate Meaning
/nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo confer with others in order to come to terms or reach an agreement.
verbTo arrange or settle something by mutual agreement.
Sentence Examples
We delegated him to negotiate with them.
She then proceeded to negotiate with her bank.
The government will not negotiate with terrorists.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The two leaders will ____ a trade agreement to boost their economies.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The union representative will ____ with the management for better working hours.
Word Origin & History
c. 1598; borrowed from Latin negōtiātus, perfect active participle of negōtior (“to do business, trade”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from negotium (“business”) + -or, from nec (“not”) + otium (“leisure, ease, inactivity”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Hidden behind thickets of acronyms and gorse bushes of detail, a new great game is under way across the globe.[…]The current power play consists of an extraordinary range of countries simultaneously sitting down to negotiate big free trade and investment agreements."
— 2013 July 19, Timothy Garton Ash, “Where Dr Pangloss meets Machiavelli”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 18:
"Novak Djokovic earlier had negotiated his own tricky passage through the fifth day."
— 2012 June 29, Kevin Mitchell, “Roger Federer back from Wimbledon 2012 brink to beat Julien Benneteau”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 15 Nov 2016:
"Jews, Turks, Armenians,[…]negotiating in this famous Emporium."
— 1640–1706, John Evelyn, “(please specify the date of the diary entry)”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC:
"Certaine it is, shee was a busie negotiating woman."
— 1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, →OCLC:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The two leaders will ____ a trade agreement to boost their economies.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The union representative will ____ with the management for better working hours.