Deal (noun) — an agreement or arrangement made between two or more parties, typically involving an exchange of money, goods, or services.
Deal (verb) — to handle, manage, or take action in relation to a person or situation; also to distribute cards in a game.
What Does Deal Mean?
Deal comes from Old English dælan, meaning "to divide" or "to share", related to the Old English noun dæl (portion, part). It shares its root with the German teilen (to divide) and has been in continuous use in English for over a thousand years. The modern sense of "agreement" grew naturally from the idea of dividing something between two parties.
As a noun, deal refers to any formal or informal agreement — from a multimillion-pound merger to buying something at a discount. It is the standard word in British journalism for agreements between governments, companies, or individuals: "the Brexit trade deal", "a record deal", "a peace deal".
As a verb, deal is most commonly used in the phrasal verb deal with, meaning to manage or handle something. It can also mean to buy and sell a commodity (deal in antiques) or to distribute playing cards (deal the cards). The irregular past tense form is dealt — rhymes with "felt".
Example Sentences (A2–C1)
| Sentence | Level & Note |
|---|---|
| They signed a deal worth millions of pounds. | A2 — basic noun use |
| Can you deal with the post while I am away? | B1 — phrasal verb: handle a task |
| The two countries struck a deal to reduce carbon emissions. | B2 — formal collocation: strike a deal |
| She deals in vintage furniture and has clients across Europe. | B2 — phrasal verb: buy and sell |
| The terms of the deal were subject to rigorous due diligence before either party was willing to proceed. | C1 — formal/business register |
Common Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning / Example |
|---|---|
| strike a deal | to successfully negotiate an agreement — "The unions struck a deal with management." |
| clinch / seal / close a deal | to finalise an agreement — "She clinched the deal after months of talks." |
| good deal / bad deal | a favourable or unfavourable arrangement — "They got a good deal on the new offices." |
| big deal | something important (or sarcastically: unimportant) — "This contract is a big deal for us." |
| trade deal | an agreement between countries on trade — "Parliament voted on the new trade deal." |
| deal with | to handle or manage — "The helpdesk dealt with over 200 queries today." |
| deal in | to trade in a type of goods — "He deals in rare coins." |
| a great deal of | a large amount of — "The restoration required a great deal of expertise." |
Usage Notes: Formal vs Informal
Register guide
Informal / spoken: "It's a deal!" (= I agree), "No big deal" (= it doesn't matter), "What's the deal?" (= What is happening / What is the situation?). These phrases are common in everyday conversation but would sound out of place in a formal report.
Neutral / journalistic: "The two firms announced a deal worth £500 million." This is the most common register for deal as a noun in British English.
Formal / legal: In contracts and legal documents, prefer agreement, arrangement, or contract rather than deal. Reserve deal for summaries, headlines, and reported speech.
Idiomatic: "a raw deal" means unfair treatment. "Deal or no deal" signals a final choice. "Big deal" used sarcastically is very common in spoken British English.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I dealed with the problem yesterday.
I dealt with the problem yesterday. (past tense of deal is dealt — irregular)
We made a deal about the price.
We struck / reached / agreed a deal on the price. (use strike, reach, or agree — not make a deal in formal contexts)
She deals with rare stamps. (if she sells them)
She deals in rare stamps. (deal in = to buy and sell; deal with = to handle)