deal

The word “deal” means an agreement or arrangement between parties, especially a business one. In plain terms, an agreement or bargain, or the act of handling/distributing something (including cards).

“Deal” is pronounced DEEL (/ˈdiːl/ in IPA).

Here is “deal” used in a sentence: “They finally struck a deal after months of negotiation.”

Depending on how it is used, “deal” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “deal” comes from Old English. From Old English dael, meaning "part" or "share", related to dole.

“Deal” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Deal” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an agreement or arrangement between parties, especially a business one.

A deal is any agreement or arrangement between parties, good or bad. A bargain is specifically a deal that offers good value — something bought for less than its worth. Every bargain is a deal, but not every deal is a bargain. 'A bargain' also stresses the buyer coming out ahead.

A deal is a general agreement between parties and can be spoken or informal — 'we have a deal.' A contract is a deal put into legally binding form, usually written and enforceable in court. A contract is a formalised deal, while a handshake deal may exist without any contract at all.

To close a deal is to finalise it — to reach agreement so both sides are committed and the arrangement is settled. In sales and business it marks the point where negotiation ends and the transaction is confirmed. Closing signals success: the terms are accepted and the deal is done.

As a noun, a deal is mainly an agreement between parties, especially in business. It also means an amount — 'a great deal of time.' As a verb, to deal is to hand out playing cards, to trade or sell, or to cope with something, as in 'deal with a problem.' Context makes the sense clear.