Borrowed from Latin negotiatus, past participle of negotiari, from negotium ("business") (Eng.

• (RP) IPA: /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/, /nɪˈɡoʊ.ʃi.eɪt/, /nɪˈɡəʊ.si.eɪt/
• (America) IPA: /nəˈɡoʊ.ʃi.eɪt/, /nɪˈɡoʊ.ʃi.eɪt/
• (Australia) IPA: /nɪˈɡəʉ.ʃi.æɪt/, /nɪˈɡəʉ.si.æɪt/

negotiate (negotiates, present participle negotiating; simple past and past participle negotiated)

1. (intransitive) To confer with others in order to come to terms or reach an agreement.
   • 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., to the eight fellow clergymen who opposed the civil rights action, "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Why We Can't Wait

     "You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue."

2. (transitive) To arrange or settle something by mutual agreement.

   We negotiated the contract to everyone's satisfaction.

   The client and server computers must first negotiate a network protocol to be used.

3. (transitive) To succeed in coping with, getting over or navigate a hazard or obstacle.

   We negotiated the mountain track with difficulty.

   Although the car was quite rickety, he could negotiate the curves very well.

4. (transitive) To transfer to another person with all the rights of the original holder; to pass, as a bill.
5. (obsolete) To transact business; to carry on trade.
   • ^{The template does not use the parameter(s): Please see for help with this warning.}
     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 ↗:

     Jews, Turks, Armenians, […] negotiating in this famous Emporium.

6. (obsolete) To intrigue; to scheme.
   • 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 ↗:

     Certaine it is, shee was a busie negotiating woman.

• otiose

• French: négocier
• German: verhandeln
• Italian: negoziare
• Portuguese: negociar
• Russian: вести переговоры
• Spanish: negociar

• French: négocier
• German: aushandeln
• Portuguese: negociar
• Russian: догова́риваться
• Spanish: negociar

• French: négocier
• German: überwinden
• Russian: преодолева́ть