verb

negotiate

nih-GOH-shee-ayt/nɪˈɡəʊʃieɪt/

To discuss terms in order to reach an agreement.

The buyer and seller negotiate a price for the vase.

A Black buyer and South Asian seller calmly discuss a price over a wooden table with a vase.

Etymology

negLatinnot

+otiLatinease, leisure

+ateLatinpast-participle ending

“Not” plus “leisure” made business a “lack of leisure”; doing business broadened to bargaining and seeking agreement. The English verb may have been formed from negotiation rather than directly from the Latin verb.

In context

Echoes of the British Crown33:18

India, the land where he had tried to negotiate a pause in rebellion, would become independent in 1947.

Lord Irwin: Viceroy of India Navigating Reform, Empire, and Gandhi's Rise

More examples

We negotiated a lower price for the car.
She is negotiating with her landlord over the rent.
Both sides refuse to negotiate until the fighting stops.

Forms

negotiate · negotiates · negotiated · negotiating

negotiation noun — Discussion of terms aimed at reaching agreement.

negotiator noun — Someone who discusses terms to reach an agreement.

Similar words

bargain: Bargain emphasizes seeking favorable terms through offers and concessions.
haggle: Haggle suggests persistent back-and-forth discussion, especially over a price.