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Meaning & use

transaction

noun·Everydaybusiness

Last updated

UK/trænˈzæk.ʃən/
US/trænˈzæk.ʃən/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A completed act of buying, selling, paying, or exchanging money, goods, or services.

    Grammar: Countable; one purchase is one transaction, while several card payments are transactions.

    Patterns

    • complete a transaction
    • online transaction
    • record a transaction

    The bank charged a fee for each international transaction.

    She completed the transaction and received a receipt by email.

  2. nouncountable or uncountableformal

    The process or fact of conducting business, negotiations, or an exchange between people or groups.

    Grammar: Countable for specific dealings; uncountable in the more abstract conduct of business.

    Patterns

    • commercial transaction
    • smooth transaction
    • business transaction

    Both sides wanted a smooth transaction with no surprises.

    Transparency is essential in every financial transaction.

  3. nouncountablecomputingtechnical

    A single logical operation in computing that is treated as a complete unit.

    Grammar: Countable in technical contexts; often modified by database, online, or failed.

    Patterns

    • database transaction
    • process a transaction
    • rollback a transaction

    The payment failed because the database transaction was interrupted.

    Each ticket purchase is stored as a separate transaction.

Word forms

pluraltransactions

Common combinations

financial transaction
Every financial transaction over a set limit is reviewed.
online transaction
The site uses encryption to protect each online transaction.
complete a transaction
Please check the details before you complete the transaction.
transaction fee
The card adds a small transaction fee when paying abroad.

Synonyms and how they differ

deal
More informal and often implies negotiation; transaction is neutral and can be a simple card payment.
exchange
Emphasizes giving and receiving; transaction emphasizes completion of a payment or business act.
operation
Broader; a transaction is specifically an exchange or a self-contained computing unit.

Word family

transact verb
To carry out business formally: transact a sale.
transactor noun
A person or party that carries out a transaction; formal and uncommon.

Commonly confused: transaction or transition?

transaction vs transition

Transition is a change from one state to another; transaction is an exchange or completed business operation.

Practice

Which sentence uses transaction in a computing sense?

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