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stipulate

/ˈstɪpjuˌleɪt/verb, adjective

stipulate is spelled S-T-I-P-U-L-A-T-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,416th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, stipulate means “To require (something) as a condition of a contract or agreement” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in stipulate?

Letters9: S-T-I-P-U-L-A-T-E
Syllables3 (from its American pronunciation)
In writingabout once in every 2 million words; the 38,416th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is stipulate?

Stipulate appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,416th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce stipulate?

  • /ˈstɪpjuˌleɪt/
  • /ˈstɪpjəˌleɪt/

As an adjective (“Having stipules; that is, having outgrowths borne on either…”): /ˈstɪpjəlɪt/.

Stipulate has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-stipulate.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of stipulate

  • stipulates present, singular, he/she/it
  • stipulating participle, present
  • stipulated participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does stipulate mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

verb

  1. 1

    To require (something) as a condition of a contract or agreement.

    My contract stipulated that I would make dinner for him at six o'clock and leave at seven after finishing the dishes; but the Professor began objecting to this schedule as soon as my son arrived on the scene.

  2. 2

    To specify, promise or guarantee something in an agreement.

  3. 3

    USTo acknowledge the truth of; not to challenge.

    The defense stipulates that the witness has identified my client.

  4. 4

    To ask for a contractual term.

  5. 5

    To mutually agree.

    We will stipulate to our receipt of all pertinent discovery documents.

adjective

  1. 1

    Having stipules; that is, having outgrowths borne on either side of the base of the leafstalk.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Stipulate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchstipuler (to require as a condition of a contract or…)
Germanstipulieren (to require as a condition of a contract or…), vereinbaren (to specify, promise or guarantee something in…), anerkennen (to acknowledge the truth of)
Portugueseestipular (to require as a condition of a contract or…), conceder (to acknowledge the truth of), estipulado (botany: having stipules)
Spanishestipular, destajar (to require as a condition of a contract or…), asentir, conceder (to acknowledge the truth of)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does stipulate come from?

From Latin stipulātus, perfect active participle of stipulor (“to demand a formal promise, stipulate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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