Deals

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /diːlz/

Definitions

1. A transaction or agreement formed between parties is often associated with negotiations
2. An arrangement or contract made between individuals or groups ; to distribute or manage items or responsibilities among people
3. An agreement established through negotiation or mutual consent ; to give out or allocate things to various recipients

Etymology: The noun "deal" in the sense of a transaction goes back to an older meaning of simply a share or portion. Its ancestor, Old English "dǣl," meant "part, share, portion," and it is a close relative of "dole," the portion of alms handed out to the poor. The idea of dividing something up is the thread running through the whole family: to make a deal was originally to hand over a share, and the bargaining sense grew out of that act of apportioning. The verb is a sibling of the noun. Old English "dǣlan" meant "to divide, part," and it has cognates across Germanic languages, such as German "teilen" and Dutch "delen," both meaning "to divide." Something of the same root shows up in Lithuanian "dalinti" and Russian "delítʹ," also meaning "to divide." "Deals" is simply the plural of the noun, so it refers to several transactions or agreements at once.

Synonyms: agreements, arrangements, transactions, contracts

Antonyms: disagreements, conflicts