stipulate
verb
Simple meaning
Specify as a condition or requirement in a contract or agreement.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
stipyuhlaytSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈstɪpjəleɪt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
Specify as a condition or requirement in a contract or agreement; make an express demand or provision in an agreement
“The will stipulates that she can live in the house for the rest of her life.”
transitive
To require (something) as a condition of a contract or agreement.
Make an oral contract or agreement in the verbal form of question and answer that is necessary to give it legal force
transitive
To specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement.
Give a guarantee or promise of
“They stipulated to release all the prisoners.”
UStransitiveformallaw
To acknowledge the truth of; not to challenge.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient
- Frequency
- Rare
- Typical Use
- Primarily written
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Specify as a condition or requirement in a contract or agreement; make an express demand or provision in an agreement
Used this way, stipulate is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It turns up most in law or legal contexts.
“The will stipulates that she can live in the house for the rest of her life.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Law/legal
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “stipulate that …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: stipulate that …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use stipulate
- “The will stipulates that she can live in the house for the rest of her life.”verb
- “They stipulated to release all the prisoners.”verb
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A definition that is stipulated by someone and that is not a standard usage.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
- specifyverb
- terminationnoun
- defendantnoun
- validadjective
- proceedingsnoun
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “stipulate” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.