Okuzeka
Contract & Commercial Law vocabulary · Forming & Drafting Contracts

Negotiate

Meaning in contract & commercial law, with examples

/nɪˈɡəʊʃieɪt/verbCore term

In contract & commercial law, negotiate means: To discuss the terms of a deal with the other side in order to reach an agreement that both can accept.

In Turkish: müzakere etmek, pazarlık etmek, görüşmek

How it is used

You negotiate a contract, terms or a price, and you negotiate 'with' someone. The noun is 'negotiation', often plural ('negotiations broke down'). English law generally does not impose a duty to negotiate in good faith unless the parties agree one.

Example sentences

  1. We spent two months negotiating the payment terms.

  2. Negotiations with the buyer broke down over the warranty package.

Common collocations

  • negotiate a contract
  • negotiate terms
  • negotiate with
  • enter into negotiations
  • negotiations break down
  • draftTo write the text of a contract or legal document carefully; as a noun, a version of a document that is not yet final.
  • offerA clear proposal by one party to enter into a contract on specific terms, which becomes binding if the other party accepts it.
  • letter of intentA document that records the parties' intention to make a deal and its main points before the final contract is negotiated and signed.
  • counterofferA reply to an offer that changes some of its terms; it rejects the original offer and becomes a new offer that the other party can accept or refuse.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Forming & Drafting Contracts

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.