bargained

Bargained is the past tense and past participle of bargain, meaning to negotiate terms of a deal or price in order to reach an agreement. The act typically involves discussion and concessions between two or more parties, and the result is a negotiated price, terms, or condition.

In use, bargained describes actions taken during negotiation. For example: “The buyer bargained with the seller over the price,” or “They bargained for a lower rate.” The verb can also appear with adverbs or prepositions, as in “bargained the price down” or “bargained away several concessions.” The phrase “not bargained for” is used to describe something unexpected that occurred despite prior expectations.

Grammatically, bargained is the regular past tense of bargain. The related noun bargain refers to the deal reached or a favorable purchase, and bargaining denotes the process of negotiating. The meaning can extend beyond money to terms of service, rights, or conditions in a contract or agreement.

Etymology traces bargained to Old French origins, with forms such as bargaigne or bargaigner meaning to bargain or haggle. The English verb and its noun share common ancestry, reflecting long-standing practices of negotiation in commerce and law.

Bargained remains common in business, legal, and everyday speech, where negotiation is the means to adjust price, terms, or obligations. It is a specific past-tense form used to denote negotiated actions in contrast to the present tense bargain or the noun bargain.