Confer vs Negotiate

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Confer

Formal Beyond 10,000 (less common) C1 verb

Negotiate

Top 2,000 (common) B2 verb

Most formal: Confer Most common: Negotiate

	Confer	Negotiate
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/kənˈfɜː(r)/","/kənˈfɜːz/","/kənˈfɜːd/","/kənˈfɜːrɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/kənˈfɜːr/","/kənˈfɜːrz/","/kənˈfɜːrd/","/kənˈfɜːrɪŋ/"]/ Hear Confer	🇬🇧 /["/nɪˈɡəʊʃieɪt/","/nɪˈɡəʊʃieɪts/","/nɪˈɡəʊʃieɪtɪd/","/nɪˈɡəʊʃieɪtɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/nɪˈɡəʊʃieɪt/","/nɪˈɡəʊʃieɪts/","/nɪˈɡəʊʃieɪtɪd/","/nɪˈɡəʊʃieɪtɪŋ/"]/ Hear Negotiate
Meaning	To discuss something with others to make a decision.	To discuss and come to an agreement.
Example	He wanted to confer with his colleagues before reaching a decision.	They had to negotiate a better contract with the suppliers to reduce costs.
Register	Formal	Neutral
How common	Beyond 10,000 (less common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	C1	B2
Part of speech	verb	verb
Collocations	confer a degree, confer with colleagues, confer authority, confer benefits, confer about a decision	carefully, successfully, effectively, be able to, be prepared to, be willing to, between, for, on, carefully, successfully, effectively, be able to, be prepared to, be willing to, between, for, on, easily, safely, successfully, be difficult to
Antonyms	withdraw, withhold	disagree, refuse, settle
Common mistakes	Confused with 'conference'; they are related but have different meanings., Using 'confer' without an object, which sounds incomplete., Incorrectly using 'confer' in informal situations.	Confusing with 'mediate' which means to help others reach an agreement., Using it without an object; always negotiate something., Mixing up with 'haggle' which refers to negotiating prices specifically.
Usage notes	Used in academic or professional contexts. Considered more formal than 'talk' or 'discuss', and may not be appropriate in casual conversations.	Use 'negotiate' in professional contexts such as business deals or contracts. It's less common in casual conversations. Avoid using it for informal arrangements.

Frequently asked questions: Confer vs Negotiate

What's the difference between Confer and Negotiate?

Confer: To discuss something with others to make a decision. Negotiate: To discuss and come to an agreement.

Which is more formal: Confer and Negotiate?

Confer is the most formal of these.

Which is more common: Confer and Negotiate?

Negotiate is the most common in everyday English.

Are Confer and Negotiate the same CEFR level?

Confer: C1, Negotiate: B2 on the CEFR scale.

Can I use Confer and Negotiate interchangeably?

Not always. Confer and Negotiate are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.