a discussion intended to produce an agreement
"the buyout negotiation lasted several days"
"they disagreed but kept an open dialogue"
"talks between Israelis and Palestinians"
A conversation or other form of discourse between two or more individuals.
"The actors practiced their dialogue repeatedly to ensure every line felt natural during the final scene."
In plain English: Dialogue is a conversation where two or more people talk back and forth to share their thoughts.
"The teacher encouraged open dialogue between students to solve their conflicts."
Usage: Use dialogue to describe a verbal exchange between two or more people, such as in a book or movie. Do not use it for a monologue, which involves only one speaker.
To discuss or negotiate so that all parties can reach an understanding.
"After hours of difficult dialogue, the two opposing teams finally agreed on a compromise solution."
In plain English: To have a conversation with someone.
"We need to have an honest dialogue about our differences before we can find a solution."
Usage: Use "dialogue" as a verb when two or more people are actively discussing a topic to find common ground or resolve differences. It implies a reciprocal exchange of ideas rather than one person speaking to another.
The word dialogue entered English from Middle English and Old French, tracing back to the Ancient Greek term for "conversation" or "discourse." It originally combined elements meaning "through" and "speech," reflecting its core sense of an exchange between people.