Renegotiate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To discuss and revise the terms of an agreement or contract that has already been established
2. To revisit discussions on an agreement in order to modify its terms or conditions that have already been set
3. To engage in discussions aimed at altering the conditions of a previously established agreement or contract

Etymology: "Renegotiate" is a plain formation: the prefix "re-", meaning "again" or "back", attached to "negotiate." The second half traces back to Latin "negotiari," meaning to carry on business, from "negotium," which combined "nec-" (not) with "otium" (leisure), so business was literally the absence of leisure. The root has been in English for centuries, and the prefix "re-" has been used freely in English to form new verbs, so "renegotiate" is a straightforward compound rather than a word with a dramatic backstory. The prefix itself arrived through Old French and Middle English, and its sense of repetition is what gives "renegotiate" its meaning: to negotiate a settlement a second time, usually because the first terms no longer suit one or both parties. The stem "negotiate" moved from the Latin idea of conducting trade to the broader sense of reaching agreement through discussion, a shift that happened well before "renegotiate" was formed.

Synonyms: reassess, reconsider, revise, modify, alter

Antonyms: agree, confirm, settle, finalize, accept