transactional

[ tran-sak-shuh-nuhl, -zak- ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the process of conducting business:

   A leading authority on ethical issues in commercial practice, she has designed classes and materials to teach students transactional skills.

2. of or relating to personal or social interaction characterized by mutual influence and exchange:

   The teacher questioned each pair of students in turn about the transactional nature of the role play—how their partner's statements or behavior shaped their own.

3. of or relating to an attitude in which personal interaction revolves around cost and benefit:

   There is a shift toward a more transactional relationship between a synagogue and its congregants, where the focus is often on dues and program fees.

Other Words From

• trans·ac·tion·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of transactional¹

transaction ( def ) + -al ¹( def )

Example Sentences

“In recent years, many tech elites have shrugged off the idealism once central to Silicon Valley’s self-image, in favor of a more corporate and transactional approach to politics,” the Washington Post gingerly reported after the election.

From Salon

But one thing seems unlikely to change: his dislike of patient, principled diplomacy as a means to peace and his preference for transactional politics and populist gestures.

From BBC

Transactional politics imply cutting deals with coup leaders and warlords whose crimes are their credentials.

From BBC

“It can feel transactional, menus can feel overwhelming, product is inconsistent, the wait too long or the handoff too hectic,” he wrote.

From Salon

We can expect him to use the office in blatantly transactional ways and be easily manipulated by opportunistic actors, foreign and domestic.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• debatable
• transferable