In the law of the United States, a stipulation is an agreement made between opposing parties prior to a pending hearing or trial. For example, both parties might stipulate to certain facts, and therefore not have to argue those facts in court. After the stipulation is entered into, it is presented to the judge. In other legal systems a similar concept is called different names.The term can also refer to a special rule in a professional wrestling match, which can force the loser to do something (e.g., retire), or any other edit to the basic rules of the match type.