parley
1 of 2verb
par·ley ˈpär-lē 
parleyed; parleying
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 2noun
plural parleys
1
a
: a conference for discussion of points in dispute
b
: a conference with an enemy
2
: discussion
Synonyms
Verb
- advise
- confab
- confabulate
- confer
- consult
- counsel
- treat
Noun
- colloquy
- conference
- council
- forum
- panel
- panel discussion
- round-robin
- roundtable
- seminar
- symposium
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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
Bianca Bosker, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2019 Generations of Indian bureaucrats had parleyed with them to try winning over Kashmiris, greasing the wheels with subsidies. The Economist, 8 Aug. 2019 The tectonic buzz and growl of a didgeridoo, played with athletic skill by Harry Wilson, parleyed with the music, then settled beneath it like bedrock. Matthew Guerrieri, Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2019 Iran’s reluctance to parley comes from the very top. Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2019 But they are flattered that outsiders are interested, and insist on their right to parley with all comers. The Economist, 24 Aug. 2019 Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 23 July 2022 And not just by riding to work or heading out for a Peloton parley. Robin Swithinbank, Robb Report, 17 July 2022 Still, that failed Kendall and Logan parley is on another level from everything else in the hour. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 6 Dec. 2021 Still, the mood surrounding Biden’s European parley is certain to represent an improvement over the recent past. Washington Post, 15 June 2021 It has been built on the side of a canal inside the Arsenale, the spiked tops of its piles visible from a distance, with the hopes that both Mapuche and Chileans could travel to Venice and hold a parley, or traditional negotiation. Colleen Barry, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 May 2021 The 2020 Republican convention focused on issues in a way that the Democratic parley did not. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 30 Aug. 2020 Zarif has said the U.S. must lift sanctions before such a parley. Eli Lake, Twin Cities, 12 Sep. 2019 Those categories are for individuals who do not seek to join the U.S., but rather represent nations seeking to parley with—or conquer—it. Jess Bravin, WSJ, 30 Oct. 2018 See More
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 Generations of Indian bureaucrats had parleyed with them to try winning over Kashmiris, greasing the wheels with subsidies. The Economist, 8 Aug. 2019 The tectonic buzz and growl of a didgeridoo, played with athletic skill by Harry Wilson, parleyed with the music, then settled beneath it like bedrock. Matthew Guerrieri, Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2019 Iran’s reluctance to parley comes from the very top. Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 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
In the ensuing parley with the Adjudicator, Winston declared fealty to the High Table and shot John, who tumbled off the rooftop to the ground. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 23 July 2022 And not just by riding to work or heading out for a Peloton parley. Robin Swithinbank, Robb Report, 17 July 2022 Still, that failed Kendall and Logan parley is on another level from everything else in the hour. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 6 Dec. 2021 Still, the mood surrounding Biden’s European parley is certain to represent an improvement over the recent past. Washington Post, 15 June 2021 It has been built on the side of a canal inside the Arsenale, the spiked tops of its piles visible from a distance, with the hopes that both Mapuche and Chileans could travel to Venice and hold a parley, or traditional negotiation. Colleen Barry, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 May 2021 The 2020 Republican convention focused on issues in a way that the Democratic parley did not. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 30 Aug. 2020 Zarif has said the U.S. must lift sanctions before such a parley. Eli Lake, Twin Cities, 12 Sep. 2019 Those categories are for individuals who do not seek to join the U.S., but rather represent nations seeking to parley with—or conquer—it. Jess Bravin, WSJ, 30 Oct. 2018 See More 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
Kids Definition
parley 1 of 2
noun
par·ley ˈpär-lē
plural parleys
: a discussion with an enemy
parley
2 of 2verb
parleyed; parleying
: to hold a discussion of terms with an enemy
Biographical Definition
Parley
biographical name
Peter see Samuel Griswold goodrich
parleyed
verb
as in consulted
to exchange viewpoints or seek advice for the purpose of finding a solution to a problem in an effort to win the goodwill of the locals, the developers parleyed with them before finalizing plans for the massive mall Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- consulted
- conferred
- discussed
- talked
- confabulated
- counselled
- treated
- counseled
- bandied
- confabbed
- argued
- advised
- coached
- debated
- talked over
- deliberated
- mooted
- chewed over
- tutored
- disputed
- rehashed
- palavered
- ventilated
- guided
- suggested
- hashed (over)
- kicked around
- recommended
- batted (around)
- referred (to)
- directed