stipulate

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/ˈstɪpjuˌleɪt//ˈstɪpjəˌleɪt//ˈstɪpjəlɪt/

verb

To require (something) as a condition of a contract or agreement.

“The defense stipulates that the witness has identified my client.”

Opposite
Less commonScrabble 11

Meanings

stipulate1

verbstipulate (third-person singular simple present stipulates, present participle stipulating, simple past and past participle stipulated)

present singular third person stipulates · participle present stipulating · participle past stipulated · past stipulated

  1. transitiveTo require (something) as a condition of a contract or agreement.

    In general, steel springs were stipulated for primary suspension, although rubber was accepted for auxiliary springing; hydraulic dampers were specified and the use of laminated springs ruled out.

    1960 December, “The first hundred 25 kV a.c. electric locomotives for B.R.”, in Trains Illustrated, page 726
    1 more example

    My contract stipulated that I would make dinner for him at six o'clock and leave at seven after finishing the dishes; but the Professor began objecting to this schedule as soon as my son arrived on the scene.

    2003, Yoko Ogawa, The Housekeeper and the Professor

    Synonyms: provide

  2. transitiveTo specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement.
    1 more example

    Out of special love and affection they stipulate that the survivor shall remain in full possession and use the entire temporal estate which they leave behind and none of the heirs shall demand an account or proof or balance so that the survivor may manage the estate in the manner he or she thinks best.

    1990, Irene English Shoemaker, Van Buskirk: A Legacy from New Amsterdam
  3. USformaltransitivelawTo acknowledge the truth of; not to challenge.

    The defense stipulates that the witness has identified my client.

    1 more example

    The parties stipulate that Exhibits 1 through 3 accompanied the initial Verified Complaint and Jury Demand, and that they are displayed in this text in the Exhibits section solely for clarity of the layout.

    2016 January 1, Elizabeth I. Boals, Shailee D. Sharma, Stanton v. Armstrong: Case File, Aspen Publishers, →ISBN, page 4
  4. intransitiveTo ask for a contractual term.

    Although another person cannot stipulate for us, yet in our stipulations we can associate with ourselves another person who stipulates for the same performance, and is called an adstipulator.

    2020 March 26, Gaius, Institutes of Roman Law, Jazzybee Verlag, →ISBN
  5. formalintransitivelawTo mutually agree.

    We will stipulate to our receipt of all pertinent discovery documents.

    1 more example

    Parties stipulate to serve discovery and notice discovery depositions no later than 45 days after the opening of discovery, and to respond to discovery within 30 days and take discovery depositions no later than the closing date of discovery.

    1999, Steven H. Bazerman, Jason M. Drangel, Guide to Registering Trademarks, Aspen Publishers Online, →ISBN, page 22

stipulate2

adjectivestipulate (not comparable)
  1. not comparablebiologyHaving stipules; that is, having outgrowths borne on either side of the base of the leafstalk.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo require (something) as a condition of a contract or agreement.

Similar
Opposite

More synonyms by meaning

verbspecify as a condition or requirement in a contract or agreement; make an express demand or provision in an agreement

verbgive a guarantee or promise of

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

stipulate · verb

  1. Proto-Indo-European*steyp-
  2. Proto-Italic*stips
  3. Proto-Italic*stipelā
  4. Latinstipula?
  5. Proto-Italic*stipelā
  6. Proto-Italic*stipelāō?
  7. Latinstipulātus
  8. Englishstipulate

From Latin stipulātus, perfect active participle of stipulor (“to demand a formal promise, stipulate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Full word history & related roots →

stipulate · adjective

From stipule + -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic اِشْتَرَطَ, نَصَّ
  • اِشْتَرَطَ (ištaraṭa)to require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • نَصَّ (naṣṣa)to specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
Bulgarian поставям като условие, уговарям
  • поставям като условие (postavjam kato uslovie)to require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • уговарям (ugovarjam)to specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
  • признавам (priznavam)to acknowledge the truth of
Chinese Mandarin 规定
  • 规定 (guīdìng)to require as a condition of a contract or agreement
Dutch bedingen, stipuleren
  • bedingento require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • stipulerento require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • garanderento specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
Finnish vaatia, panna ehdoksi
  • vaatiato require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • panna ehdoksito require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • edellyttääto require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • sopiato specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
  • säätääto specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
  • hyväksyäto acknowledge the truth of
  • korvakkeellinenbotany: having stipules
French stipuler, stipuler
  • stipulerto require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • stipulerto specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
German stipulieren, vereinbaren
  • stipulierento require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • vereinbarento specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
  • anerkennento acknowledge the truth of
Greek καθορίζω
  • καθορίζω (kathorízo)to require as a condition of a contract or agreement
Hungarian feltétel(eke)t szab, kiköt
  • feltétel(eke)t szabto require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • kikötto require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • előírto require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • megszabto require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • rendelkezikto specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
  • meghatározto specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
  • lefektetto specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
  • megállapodikto specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
  • megegyezikto specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
  • leszögezto acknowledge the truth of
  • megállapítto acknowledge the truth of
Italian stipulare, fissare
  • stipulareto require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • fissareto specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
Korean 규정하다
  • 규정하다 (gyujeonghada)to require as a condition of a contract or agreement
Latin stipulor
  • stipulorto require as a condition of a contract or agreement
Norwegian Bokmål stipulere
  • stipulereto require as a condition of a contract or agreement
Persian قید کردن, تصریح کردن
  • قید کردن (qeyd kardan)to require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • تصریح کردن (tasrih kardan)to specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
Portuguese estipular, estipular
  • estipularto require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • estipularto specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
  • concederto acknowledge the truth of
  • estipuladobotany: having stipules
Russian предусма́тривать, оговаривать
  • предусма́тривать (predusmátrivatʹ)to require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • оговаривать (ogovarivatʹ)to require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • оговаривать (ogovarivatʹ)to specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
Spanish estipular, destajar
  • estipularto require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • destajarto require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • estipularto specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
  • asentirto acknowledge the truth of
  • concederto acknowledge the truth of
Swedish stipulera, stipelförsedd
  • stipulerato require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • stipelförseddbotany: having stipules
  • stipelbärandebotany: having stipules
Turkish şart koşmak, taahhüt etmek
  • şart koşmakto require as a condition of a contract or agreement
  • taahhüt etmekto specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
  • üstlenmekto specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement
Cite this entry
APA

stipulate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stipulate

MLA

“stipulate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stipulate. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stipulate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stipulate.

Source: stipulate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.