bargaining

bargaining — noun

1. the activity of trying to reach an agreement by discussing prices, rules, workin

1.nounB2
Definition

the activity of trying to reach an agreement by discussing prices, rules, working conditions, or other details that both sides can accept

Example

After three weeks of bargaining, the union and management finally signed a new contract.

collocation: union bargaining / collective bargaining

Ziad used his bargaining skills to lower the price of the used sofa.

collocation: bargaining skills

Common collocations
  • bargaining chip
  • bargaining power
  • bargaining position
  • collective bargaining
  • plea bargaining
  • hard bargaining
  • bargaining session
  • bargaining table
Synonyms
  • negotiation

    the standard neutral term; 'bargaining' often implies a more direct back-and-forth over specific terms

  • haggling

    less formal and usually limited to discussions about price in markets or shops

  • deal-making

    focuses on the outcome (the deal) rather than the process

Grammar Patterns

bargaining + noun (bargaining chip / bargaining power)

adjective + bargaining (collective bargaining / plea bargaining)

Usage Note

Bargaining is an uncountable noun, so it cannot be used with 'a' or in the plural. It is often followed by a prepositional phrase (e.g. 'bargaining with someone over something') and frequently appears in compound nouns such as 'bargaining chip', 'bargaining power', 'collective bargaining', and 'plea bargaining'.

Common Mistakes

We had a long bargaining about the price.
We had a long round of bargaining about the price.
'bargaining' is uncountable; use 'a round of bargaining' or 'some bargaining' instead of 'a bargaining'.
The bargainings went on for days.
The bargaining went on for days.
'bargaining' has no plural form.
Idioms

bargaining chip

idiom

something that one person or group can use to get an advantage in a negotiation

The threat of resignation was Renata's strongest bargaining chip in the salary discussion.

Small countries sometimes use their natural resources as bargaining chips in trade talks.

bargaining power

idiom

the amount of influence someone has in a negotiation, based on what they can offer or take away

When a company is the only employer in town, workers have very little bargaining power.

Sahil's unique programming skills gave him strong bargaining power when he asked for a raise.

collective bargaining

idiom

negotiations between an employer and a group of employees who are represented by a union, about pay, hours, and working conditions

Teachers in several states are pushing for the right to engage in collective bargaining.

The new law protects the right of workers to participate in collective bargaining through their union.

plea bargaining

idiom

a process in which someone accused of a crime agrees to plead guilty to a less serious charge in order to receive a lighter punishment and avoid a trial

The prosecutor offered a plea bargaining deal that reduced the charge from armed robbery to theft.

Jabari's lawyer advised him to accept the plea bargaining offer rather than risk a longer sentence at trial.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Bargaining and negotiation both refer to the process of reaching an agreement through discussion, but bargaining often suggests a more direct back-and-forth over specific terms such as price or pay. Negotiation is the broader, more formal term that covers any discussion aimed at resolving differences — it can involve multiple parties, mediators, or complex legal frameworks. Haggling is an informal word for bargaining, typically used when buyers and sellers argue over the price of a single item in a market or shop. Deal-making focuses on the end result — the closed deal — rather than the process itself, and is common in business and politics. For example, you might say 'the union and management engaged in tough bargaining over wages' (process), 'the peace negotiation involved five countries' (broad formal process), 'she enjoys haggling at the flea market' (informal price talk), or 'the two directors met for some late-night deal-making' (outcome-focused).

bargaining ↗negotiation ↗hagglingdeal-making

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

FrankishOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Bargaining comes from the verb 'bargain' plus the suffix '-ing', which turns the action into a noun. 'Bargain' entered English from Old French 'bargaignier', meaning 'to haggle, to trade by bargaining'. The French word probably came from a Frankish (Germanic) root, making it part of a family of trade-related words that spread across Europe during the medieval period.