stipulate

stipulate

 
verb|STIP-yuh-layt
 
What It Means
 
To stipulate is to demand or require something as part of an agreement.
 
// The rules stipulate that players must wear uniforms.

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stipulate
1 of 2
verb
stip·;u·;late ;sti-py;-;l;t
stipulated; stipulating
Synonyms of stipulate
intransitive verb

1
: to make an agreement or covenant to do or forbear something : contract
2
: to demand an express term in an agreement —used with for
transitive verb

1
: to specify as a condition or requirement (as of an agreement or offer)
2
: to give a guarantee of
stipulator
;sti-py;-;l;-t;r
 noun
stipulate

2 of 2
adjective
stip·;u·;late ;sti-py;-l;t
: having stipules


Did you know?
Like many terms used in the legal profession, stipulate, an English word since the 17th century, has its roots in Latin. It comes from stipulatus, the past participle of stipulari, a verb meaning “to demand a guarantee (from a prospective debtor).” In Roman law, oral contracts were deemed valid only if they followed a proper question-and-answer format; stipulate was sometimes used specifically of this same process of contract making, though it also could be used more generally for any means of making a contract or agreement. The “to specify as a condition or requirement” meaning of stipulate also dates to the 17th century, and is the sense of the word most often encountered today.

Synonyms
Verb

demand
call (for)
press (for)
insist (on)
require
request
Examples of stipulate in a Sentence
Verb
The ceasefire was stipulated by the treaty.
The rules stipulate that players must wear uniforms.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The order—which U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued at a hearing—stipulated that construction workers at the detention center will be prohibited from adding new filling, paving or infrastructure for the next two weeks.
—Yezen Saadah, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The new law appears to stipulate that the maximum annual deduction for tip income is $25,000 per tax return — not $25,000 for each employee listed on a joint return, according to how O'Saben and Luscombe read the tax bill.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Government officials are also subject to the Open Door Law, which stipulates transparency conditions for public meetings.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 5 Aug. 2025
The contract stipulates that if the Parks Department pays to upgrade the 50-acre equestrian center, the A3 payment requirement increases from $250,000 to $300,000 per year.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 23 July 2025

Word History
Etymology
Verb

Latin stipulatus, past participle of stipulari to demand a guarantee (from a prospective debtor)

Adjective

New Latin stipula

First Known Use
Verb

circa 1624, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Adjective

circa 1776, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stipulate was circa 1624