Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties intended to reach a beneficial outcome.
This beneficial outcome can be for all of the parties involved, or just for one or some of them, in situations in which a good outcome for one/some, excludes the possibility of a desired result for the other/others.

It is aimed to resolve points of difference, to gain advantage for an individual or collective, or to craft outcomes to satisfy various interests. It is often conducted by putting forward a position and making small concessions to achieve an agreement. The degree to which the negotiating parties trust each other to implement the negotiated solution is a major factor in determining whether negotiations are successful. Negotiation is not a zero-sum game; if there is no compromise, the negotiations have failed. When negotiations are at an impasse it is essential that both the parties acknowledge the difficulties, and agree to work towards a solution at a later date.

Negotiation can take a wide variety of forms, from a trained negotiator acting on behalf of a particular organization or position in a formal setting, to an informal negotiation between friends. Negotiation can be contrasted with mediation, where a neutral third party listens to each side's arguments and attempts to help craft an agreement between the parties.[1] It can also be compared with arbitration, which resembles a legal proceeding. In arbitration, both sides make an argument as to the merits of their case and the arbitrator decides the outcome. This negotiation is also sometimes called positional or hard-bargaining negotiation.

Negotiation occurs in business, non-profit organizations, government branches, legal proceedings, among nations, and in personal situations such as marriage, divorce, parenting, and everyday life. The study of the subject is called negotiation theory.