Learn French Vocabulary: Business Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Crisis Management

Vocabulary

Core negotiation vocabulary

Negotiation in French draws on a small set of terms that appear in business correspondence, legal documents, and union statements.

La négociation — the process of reaching an agreement
la concession — a concession offered during talks
le compromis — a compromise that both sides accept
la contrepartie — the counterpart offered in exchange
l'accord — the agreement that closes the negotiation
le rapport de force — the balance of power between the parties

Each term names a distinct element of the negotiation process, and the balance of power determines how far each side can move before a compromise is reached.

Core negotiation and crisis vocabulary

French term	English equivalent	Domain
la médiation	mediation	dispute resolution
l'arbitrage	arbitration	dispute resolution
le conflit social	labour dispute	industrial relations
la restructuration	restructuring	corporate management
la cellule de crise	crisis unit	crisis management
le communiqué	press release	crisis communication

Mediation, arbitration, and litigation

Three routes resolve a dispute, and each one distributes decision-making power differently.

La médiation — a neutral third party helps the two sides find their own solution
l'arbitrage — a neutral third party issues a binding decision
le contentieux — the dispute moves to a court, which issues a judgment
le médiateur — the facilitator who keeps the dialogue open
l'arbitre — the decision-maker chosen by the parties
la transaction — an out-of-court settlement that closes the dispute

Direct negotiation comes first, médiation follows when talks stall, arbitrage settles the case when the parties accept a binding decision, and contentieux remains the last resort. The French legal register treats the three routes as distinct procedural stages, and each one has its own term.

Examples

la médiation

A bare noun phrase naming the third-party route that keeps the decision with the parties, ready to be combined with engager or proposer.

le rapport de force

A bare noun phrase naming the balance of power between the parties, often preceded by évaluer or renverser.

Les deux parties ont signé un compromis après trois jours de négociation.

The compromise closes the negotiation, and it results from mutual concessions rather than from a unilateral decision.

La médiation a permis de rétablir le dialogue entre la direction et les syndicats.

The mediator facilitates discussion, and the outcome remains in the hands of the two sides.

Le préavis de grève a été déposé la semaine dernière.

The formal notice opens the legal window before a strike can begin.

Business Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Crisis Management (Négociation commerciale, résolution de conflits et gestion de crise)

What you’ll learn

Vocabulary

Core negotiation vocabulary

Core negotiation and crisis vocabulary

Mediation, arbitration, and litigation

Watch out for these

Examples

Exercises

Conflict and crisis management

Restructuring and crisis communication

What you’ll learn

Vocabulary

Core negotiation vocabulary

Core negotiation and crisis vocabulary

Mediation, arbitration, and litigation

Examples

Exercises

Related lessons

Conflict and crisis management

Restructuring and crisis communication