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Contract & Commercial Law vocabulary · Commercial Agreements

Non-disclosure agreement

Meaning in contract & commercial law, with examples

nounCore term

In contract & commercial law, non-disclosure agreement means: A contract in which one or both parties promise to keep shared information secret and not to use it for any purpose other than the one agreed.

In Turkish: gizlilik sözleşmesi, gizlilik anlaşması

How it is used

Almost always called an NDA, or a confidentiality agreement. It is usually the first document signed before talks about an acquisition, a partnership or a supply deal. It can be one-way (unilateral) or mutual.

Example sentences

  1. We need a signed non-disclosure agreement before we send the technical drawings.

  2. The two companies signed a mutual non-disclosure agreement before discussing the joint venture.

Common collocations

  • sign an NDA
  • mutual non-disclosure agreement
  • breach of the NDA
  • under NDA
  • confidentiality clauseA clause that requires the parties to keep certain information secret and to use it only for the purpose of the contract.
  • trade secretValuable business information, such as a formula, a process or a customer list, that gives a company an advantage because it is kept secret.
  • 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.
  • due diligenceA detailed investigation of a company's legal, financial and commercial position, carried out before buying it, investing in it or signing a major contract with it.

More terms: Commercial Agreements

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