Stipuler

Stipuler is a French verb meaning to stipulate, to specify, or to lay down terms or conditions in a contract, agreement, or formal document. In legal and administrative language, it is commonly used to indicate what is required or agreed by the parties involved. The phrase il est stipulé que is a standard construction to introduce a formal condition or obligation.

Etymology and usage notes: stipuler derives from Latin stipulāre and entered French through Old French, evolving into a regular -er verb. It is transitive and typically takes a direct object, as in stipuler quelque chose (to stipulate something) or stipuler que followed by a clause. The auxiliary in compound tenses is avoir, for example, j’ai stipulé, il a stipulé. In many legal texts, the impersonal construction il est stipulé que is frequent, serving to present contractual or regulatory requirements without naming a specific subject.

Common contexts: stipuler is most at home in contract law, notarial acts, and formal regulations. It is used to describe obligations, conditions, clauses, or specifications that must be observed. The related noun is la stipulation or la clause stipulée, referring to the act of stipulating or to a stipulation itself.

Examples:

- Le contrat stipule les obligations de chaque partie.

- Il est stipulé que le paiement doit être effectué sous 30 jours.

- Les parties ont stipulé une clause de confidentialité.

See also: clause, contrat, droit. Stipuler contrasts with more general verbs like prévoir (to foresee or provide for) by emphasizing explicit conditions set forth in a document.