parley

1 of 2

verb

par·​ley ˈpär-lē How to pronounce parley (audio)
parleyed; parleying
Synonyms of parley

intransitive verb

: to speak with another : confer
specifically : to discuss terms with an enemy
The government refused to parley with the rebels.

parley

2 of 2

noun

plural parleys
1
a
: a conference for discussion of points in dispute
b
: a conference with an enemy
2
: discussion

Synonyms of parley

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Verb

Noun

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Examples of parley in a Sentence

Verb in an effort to win the goodwill of the locals, the developers parleyed with them before finalizing plans for the massive mall Noun held a parley to debate the proposed change in the town's zoning laws can we meet for an informal parley to see if we can effect a compromise?
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
In May, delegates from the Dobson Noise Coalition parleyed with delegates from CyrusOne, including an acoustic consultant the company had hired. — Bianca Bosker, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2019 But they are flattered that outsiders are interested, and insist on their right to parley with all comers. — The Economist, 24 Aug. 2019
Noun
At Smithfield the following day, Tyler was killed during a parley with the king’s entourage. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 11 Sep. 2026 But one of the very few indicators that this is still in play is a new article at The Information suggesting that Google people might want some kind of parley with Nvidia to talk about things. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for parley

Word History

Etymology

Verb

derivative of parley entry 2

Noun

Middle English parlay "speech," borrowed from Anglo-French parlee, parly "speech, conversation, debate," probably noun derivative from feminine of parlé, past participle of parler "to speak, talk," going back to early Medieval Latin parabolāre, noun derivative of Late Latin parabola "comparison, allegory, proverb, discourse, speech" — more at parable

First Known Use

Verb

1576, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of parley was in 1576

Rhymes for parley

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Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Parley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parley. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

parley

verb
par·​ley
ˈpär-lē
parleyed; parleying
: to speak with another : confer
especially : to discuss terms with an enemy
parley noun
Etymology

Verb

derived from early French parler "to speak" — related to parliament, parlor see Word History at parlor

Biographical Definition

Parley

biographical name

Peter see Samuel Griswold goodrich
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