bargain

1 of 2

noun

bar·​gain ˈbär-gən How to pronounce bargain (audio)
often attributive
1
: an agreement between parties settling what each gives or receives in a transaction between them or what course of action or policy each pursues in respect to the other
They struck a bargain to sell only to each other.
Keep your side of the bargain.
2
: something acquired by or as if by negotiating over the terms of a purchase, agreement, or contract
especially : an advantageous purchase
At that price the car is a bargain.
We got a bargain on the plane tickets.
3
: a transaction, situation, or event regarded in the light of its results
a bad bargain

bargain

2 of 2

verb

bargained; bargaining; bargains

intransitive verb

1
: to negotiate over the terms of a purchase, agreement, or contract : haggle
The seller might be willing to bargain over the price.
2
: to come to terms : agree

transitive verb

1
: to bring to a desired level by bargaining
bargain a price down
2
: to sell or dispose of by bargaining
often used with away
bargained away wage increases for other benefits
bargainer noun
Phrases
into the bargain or less commonly in the bargain
: besides
tastes good and is good for you, into the bargain
bargain for
: expect
more work than I bargained for

Examples of bargain in a Sentence

Noun I think everyone involved was satisfied with the bargain we made. They've agreed to turn the land over to the state, and the state, as its part of the bargain, has agreed to keep it undeveloped. She likes to hunt for bargains when she shops. Verb The price listed is quite high, but the seller might be willing to bargain. they bargained with the car salesman for half an hour before settling on a price
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Moreover, his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, in a bargain to secure the Speakership, agreed to revise House rules in a way that has made Johnson’s position exceptionally precarious. David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 Temu’s skill is making bargain hunting feel like a sugar-high treasure hunt. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Running backs Kyren Williams’ emergence as a 1,000-yard rusher in 2023 — and his bargain $985,000 salary in 2024 and $1.1-million salary in 2025 — means the Rams won’t be in the market for Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry or any other big-name running back. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Others, however, suspect that the origins of cell death may lie in a long-ago bargain between our ancestors and bacteria. Quanta Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 If road running is more your speed, try the super-comfy Hoka Women's Mach 5 Running Shoes which are a bargain at $98. Alice Bennett, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024 If a bargain is to be had, ExxonMobil and CNOOC have a right to it. Ed Hirs, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Ferrell was a relative bargain (one year, $2.5 million) as a 17-game starter, up until a knee injury in the regular-season finale. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024 But with a price in the mid to high $20,000 range, not a bargain. Scotty Reiss, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
After the joint discussions on pension and health, IATSE is expected to begin bargaining the Basic Agreement, which affects 13 West Coast locals. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024 In 2011 as the airport maintenance crew were bargaining for their first contract, the Airport Authority rescinded their rights and disbanded the union, said Osborne, who has represented the operating engineers for decades. Binghui Huang, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 And rather than bargaining only cafe-by-cafe, the company will also meet at a single table to negotiate with baristas from around the country about how to handle common issues, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. Josh Eidelson, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 In the House, Scott said, Republicans and Democrats alike are ready to bargain. Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 Starbucks said in a statement that the next step will be to begin bargaining over a contract with the National City workers. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024 The union is a unique effort that will pave the way for more than half a million workers at fast-food chains across the state to bargain as a single sector — and could chart a course for other industries across the United States. Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2024 That could be set to change—as part of the SEIU Local 560, the Dartmouth men’s basketball team would be eligible to collectively bargain with the university for things like wages and health benefits. Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 At the heart of this election was the issue of whether college athletes should be considered employees and therefore have to the right under federal labor law to form unions and collectively bargain over pay and benefits. Andrea Hsu, NPR, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bargain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from bargaigner

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French bargaigner, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old English borgian to borrow — more at bury

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bargain was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near bargain

Cite this Entry

“Bargain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bargain. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bargain

1 of 2 noun
bar·​gain ˈbär-gən How to pronounce bargain (audio)
1
: an agreement between parties settling what each is to give or receive in a business deal
2
: something bought or offered for sale at a desirable price

bargain

2 of 2 verb
: to talk over the terms of a purchase or agreement
bargainer noun

Legal Definition

bargain

1 of 2 noun
bar·​gain
often attributive
1
: an agreement between parties that settles what each gives or receives (as a promise or performance) in a transaction between them compare contract
2
a
: something acquired by or as if by bargaining
b
: something whose value considerably exceeds its cost
a bargain purchase

bargain

2 of 2 intransitive verb
1
a
: to negotiate over the terms of an agreement (as a contract)
b
: to engage in collective bargaining
the employer must bargain with the union
2
: to agree to certain terms or conditions : come to terms
plaintiff bargained with the store for a lower price

transitive verb

: to convey according to a bargain
does hereby grant, bargain, sell, alien and confirm to the party of the second part, the following described property
often used with sell in deeds to indicate that the conveyor is receiving consideration in exchange for the property
Etymology

Noun

Old French bargaigne negotiation, haggling, from bargaignier to haggle

More from Merriam-Webster on bargain

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