negotiate

negotiate — verb

1. to talk with other people or groups in a formal setting, trying to settle on con

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to talk with other people or groups in a formal setting, trying to settle on conditions that everyone involved can accept.

Example

The union leaders negotiated a new contract with the factory owners after weeks of talks.

negotiate + noun phrase (a contract / a deal / terms)

Ishaan and his partner negotiated for months before agreeing on a fair price.

Common collocations
  • negotiate a contract
  • negotiate a deal
  • negotiate terms
  • negotiate a settlement
  • negotiate peace
  • carefully negotiate
  • negotiate directly
Synonyms
  • bargain

    more informal and focused on price; often used in markets or small-scale deals

  • haggle

    implies persistent back-and-forth arguing over price, sometimes with a negative tone

  • mediate

    involves a neutral third party helping two sides reach an agreement, rather than being one of the parties

  • confer

    more formal and general; means to discuss or consult without necessarily aiming to settle terms

Antonyms
  • dictate

    to impose terms without discussion or compromise

Grammar Patterns

negotiate + noun phrase (a contract / a deal / terms)

negotiate + with + someone + over / for + something

agree / refuse to negotiate

Usage Note

Frequently used in business, politics, and legal contexts. The object is normally the thing being settled — a contract, a deal, or terms. Can also be intransitive when the focus is on the discussion itself rather than the outcome.

Common Mistakes

They spent the whole morning arguing until an agreement was reached.
They spent the whole morning negotiating until an agreement was reached.
'Argue' suggests conflict and disagreement; 'negotiate' suggests a structured discussion aimed at finding common ground.

2. to move carefully and with skill through a difficult physical path or around an

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to move carefully and with skill through a difficult physical path or around an obstacle, such as a narrow road, a sharp bend, or a rocky trail.

Example

Rin carefully negotiated the narrow mountain path while carrying her hiking gear.

negotiate + a path / a route / a bend

The driver had to negotiate several sharp bends on the icy road.

Common collocations
  • negotiate a bend
  • negotiate a path
  • negotiate a road
  • negotiate an obstacle
Synonyms
  • navigate

    similar meaning but broader — can include planning a route, not just physically moving along it

  • get past

    less formal, more conversational

  • clear

    used especially for clearing an obstacle or hurdle

Grammar Patterns

negotiate + a path / a route / a bend / an obstacle

Usage Note

The subject is typically a person or vehicle, and the object is always something physical: a road, slope, bend, or obstacle. More formal than everyday alternatives such as 'get around' or 'get past'.

Common Mistakes

The cat easily negotiated the garden fence.
The cat easily jumped over the garden fence.
'Negotiate' is too formal for simple everyday actions; use a simpler verb instead.

3. to handle a tricky situation or problem in a capable way, usually requiring skil

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to handle a tricky situation or problem in a capable way, usually requiring skill, patience, or careful planning to get through it.

Example

Walid had to negotiate several tricky questions during his job interview.

negotiate + a difficult situation / problem / question

The project manager negotiated a complex set of rules from different government offices.

Common collocations
  • negotiate a challenge
  • negotiate a problem
  • negotiate a crisis
  • negotiate a system
Synonyms
  • handle

    less formal and more general; can apply to both small and large tasks

  • manage

    emphasises organisation and control over a situation

  • deal with

    everyday equivalent; less formal than 'negotiate'

Grammar Patterns

negotiate + a problem / a challenge / a crisis / a set of rules

Usage Note

The object is always an abstract difficulty — a problem, challenge, crisis, or complex situation. Similar in meaning to 'handle' or 'deal with' but carries a tone of active effort and resourcefulness.

4. in banking and finance, to transfer a payment document such as a cheque to a ban

4.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

in banking and finance, to transfer a payment document such as a cheque to a bank in exchange for its cash value, or to pass it to another party as a form of payment.

Example

Selim went to the bank to negotiate the cheque from his grandmother.

negotiate a cheque (convert to cash)

The company negotiated the payment order through its main bank in Taipei.

Common collocations
  • negotiate a cheque
  • negotiate a bill of exchange
  • negotiate a payment order
Synonyms
  • cash

    simpler and more common; 'cash a cheque' is the everyday alternative

  • transfer

    broader meaning; can apply to moving funds or documents between accounts

  • convert

    focuses on changing the form of value, from a document to cash

Grammar Patterns

negotiate + a cheque / a bill of exchange / a promissory note

be negotiated at + a bank

Usage Note

Almost always used in banking or financial contexts. The passive form is common: 'The cheque was negotiated at the bank.' Not used for everyday cash withdrawals from a personal account.

Common Mistakes

I need to negotiate some cash from the ATM.
I need to get some cash from the ATM.
'Negotiate' in the financial sense only applies to cheques and other transferable documents, not to personal cash withdrawals.

Word family

  • negotiation
    nounB1
  • negotiator
    nounB2
  • negotiable
    adjectiveB2
  • renegotiate
    verbC1
  • renegotiation
    nounC1
  • non-negotiable
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words involve discussion aimed at reaching an outcome, but they differ in formality, scope, and tone. 'Negotiate' is the broadest and most formal — it applies to any structured discussion between parties trying to reach a mutual agreement, whether in business, politics, or daily life. 'Bargain' is more informal and usually focuses on price; you bargain at a market or a car dealership, and the process is often friendly. 'Haggle' also centres on price but carries a more persistent, sometimes negative tone — it suggests drawn-out arguing over small amounts. 'Mediate' is different because it requires a neutral third party who helps two sides find common ground without being one of the disputants themselves. In practice: 'The union and management negotiated a new contract for three weeks.' 'She bargained with the street vendor for a lower price.' 'The buyer and seller haggled over the fee for an hour.' 'A trained specialist mediated the dispute between the two departments.'

negotiate ↗bargain ↗hagglemediate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • negotiate a settlement
  • negotiate a deal
  • negotiate terms
  • negotiate a contract
  • negotiate peace
  • negotiate a ceasefire
  • negotiate the price

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'negotiate' comes from the Latin verb 'negotiari', meaning 'to do business or trade'. This in turn came from 'negotium', a combination of 'nec' (not) and 'otium' (leisure) — literally meaning 'not leisure', or 'that which keeps one from being idle'. The idea was that business and trade were serious activities that took effort, unlike free time. The word entered English from French in the 1500s, first carrying the financial and commercial sense, and later broadening to include any kind of formal discussion or difficult passage.