[f. L. transact-, ppl. stem of transigĕre to drive through, accomplish, f. TRANS- + agĕre to drive, do, act.]
1. intr. To carry through negotiations; to have dealings, do business; to treat; also, to manage or settle affairs. Now rare.
1584–5. Reg. Privy Council Scot., III. 723. Quha … transactit and agreit with Mr. Patrik Gaittis … and be vertew thairof hes obtenit collatioun.
1623. Bingham, Xenophon, 79. The Trapezuntines … gaue the Grecians gifts of hospitalitie…. They transacted likewise for the next neighbour Colchans.
1638–9. in Burton’s Diary (1828), IV. 13. The last Parliament would never transact with them as Lords. We were turned out for it.
1683. Cave, Ecclesiastici, Athanasius, 109. They transact Synodically in separate Assemblies.
1750. Johnson, Rambler, No. 74, ¶ 1. That … we may secure the love of those with whom we transact.
1872. Symonds, Introd. Stud. Dante, 266. Dante denounced the enemies of his country in his Comedy, and refused to transact with them.
b. fig. (Usually dyslogistic.) To have to do, to compromise.
1888. W. C. Wilkinson, in Homiletic Rev., XVI. Oct., 314. Goethe’s chosen method was to make Faust a blasé scholar, and have him, in disgust of study, turn rake at middle age and transact with the devil for the enjoyment of the body of a girl of fourteen or thereabout.
1888. Athenæum, 24 Nov., 693/1. The plan … of ‘transacting’ with political convictions by acquiescence in, if not actually serving, governments the legitimacy of which the politician in his heart … denies.
1890. Sat. Rev., 4 Jan., 15/2. In his criticism … he seems to us a little to ‘transact’ with cant, or even not quite to have cleared his own mind of it. Ibid., 15 Nov., 571/1. He does not make the slightest attempt to ‘transact’ with naturalism or explain away the supernatural.
2. trans. To carry through, perform (an action, etc.); to manage (an affair); now esp. to carry on, conduct, do (business).
1635. Heylin, Sabbath, II. (1636), 190. Provided … that the change be so transacted, that it produce no scandall or confusion in the Church of God.
1649. Cromwell, Lett., Nov. Whilst these things have been thus transacting [= being transacted] here.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 94, ¶ 1. In the Country wherein the Circumstances were transacted.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 100, ¶ 1. Ignorance of what is transacting among the polite part of Mankind.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., I. ix. (1869), I. 99. A country fully stocked in proportion to all the business it had to transact.
1817. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, II. IV. v. 211. Affairs of no trivial importance were transacting in the Council.
3. To deal in or with; to traffic in, negotiate about; to handle, treat; to discuss. arch.
1654. Fuller, Ephemeris Parl. (title-p.), Containing the severall Speeches, Cases, and Arguments of Law transacted between his Majesty and both Houses.
1712. Arbuthnot, John Bull, II. iv. To have these usurers transact my debts at coffee-houses, and ale-houses; as if I were going to break up shop.
1767. S. Paterson, Another Trav., I. 406. Great sums are transacted.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, xxvi. While these delicacies were being transacted below.
† 4. To carry, hand, or take over; to transfer.
[Cf. med.L. transactāre = transferre (1242 in Du Cange).]
1621. Elsing, Debates Ho. Lords (Camden), 71. The cause to be brought before us by habeas corpus cum causa, or the case to be transacted to the Kinge, and he to determyne yt.
1653. Manton, Exp. James i. 13. God’s transacting our sin upon Christ is most satisfying to the Spirit.
1889. Science, 29 Nov., 374. A paper … from which the following passages are transacted.
Hence Transacted ppl. a., Transacting vbl. sb.
1686. trans. Chardin’s Trav. Persia, 20. In all their Transacting together.
1752. J. Louthian, Form of Process (ed. 2), App. 286. For transacted Processes and Decreets, the one Half of what they would have amounted to if extracted.
1854. J. Guthrie, Life J. Arminius, Pref. 2. There are other … transacted lives, which not to know … is a loss to the world.
1876. H. K. Wood, Highw. Salvation, v. 69. There is the direct and personal transacting of a soul with the Saviour.
