stipulare

Stipulare is a verb of Latin origin meaning to stipulate, to contract, or to require as a condition. In Classical Latin, stipulatio referred to a formal, binding contract created by a question-and-answer ritual between two parties. The term passed into several modern Romance languages, where it commonly means to enter into a contract or to specify terms.

In English-language legal and scholarly usage, to stipulate means to demand, specify, or agree upon a condition as part of an arrangement. A stipulation is a term or condition agreed to by the parties and incorporated into the contract. In Roman law, stipulation was a specific form of contract that validated obligations through spoken question and answer, a foundational concept that influenced later theories of contract and obligation.

In contemporary usage, stipulare appears in Italian as a general term for entering into a contract or for stipulating conditions. Cognates in other languages retain similar meanings, reflecting the historical influence of Roman-law concepts on European legal practice. The term thus crosses both linguistic and legal-historical domains, serving as a bridge between ancient contractual forms and modern means of specifying terms in agreements.