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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.
Examples of stipulate in a Sentence
Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
Let’s stipulate that some of these fact checks are identifying unfactual statements.
—Tim Graham, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
Jersey sales was probably one of the most egregious hypocrisies of the NCAA’s amateurism rule for student athletes, which stipulated that players were never to benefit financially from their name, image and likeness — even if others did.
—Andrea Williams, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Oct. 2025
But the investigation unearthed evidence that, contrary to the manufacturers’ claims, the bags were not generally recyclable or recyclable within California, as SB 270 stipulates.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stipulate
Cite this Entry
“Stipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stipulate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
stipulate
verb
Louisiana Civil CodeNational Law JournalLuna v. Meinke, 844 F. Supp. 1284 (1994)West v. Bank of Commerce & Trusts, 167 F.2d 664 (1948)National Law JournalVerb
Latin stipulatus, past participle of stipulari to exact (as from a prospective debtor) a formal guarantee when making an oral contract
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