agreement

noun

agree·ment ə-ˈgrē-mənt

Synonyms of agreement next

: harmony of opinion, action, or character : concord

There is widespread agreement on this issue.

: the act or fact of agreeing

She nodded her head in agreement.

: an arrangement as to a course of action

reached an agreement as to how to achieve their goal

: compact, treaty

a trade agreement

: a contract duly executed (see execute sense transitive 2) and legally binding

: the language or instrument (see instrument entry 1 sense 5) embodying such a contract

Example Sentences

Any changes to the plan require the agreement of everyone involved. There is wide agreement on this issue. They have been unable to reach agreement about how to achieve reform. I thought we had an agreement. Their agreement expires next year. He has to return the property under the terms of an agreement he has with the original owner. He signed an agreement to buy the property. See More

Recent Examples on the Web The San Antonio Philharmonic has ratified a collective bargaining agreement with the musicians union. —

Deborah Martin, San Antonio Express-News, 22 Mar. 2023 Putin said much of China’s 12-point plan corresponds with Russia’s view and could form the basis of a future peace agreement, but only when Kyiv and the West were ready. —

Robyn Dixon And Lily Kuo, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Mar. 2023 In September, the company entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Figma, a web-first collaborative design platform—and an Adobe competitor—for approximately $20 billion. —

Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2023 Currently, Evans has primary custody of Kaiser, while Griffith has his son every other weekend, according to a custody agreement settled in October 2020. —

Kaitlin Stevens, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2023 Nearly 46,000 private sector workers covered by a collective bargaining agreement were not dues-paying union members. —

Detroit Free Press, 21 Mar. 2023 There are also a lot of options for financing your solar system or signing up for a power purchase agreement that don’t require large upfront investments. —

Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2023 Putin said much of China’s 12-point plan corresponds with Russia’s view and could form the basis of a future peace agreement, but only when Kyiv and the West were ready. —

Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2023 The sharp rhetoric marks a shift from a longstanding agreement to maintain public silence on issues around the negotiations, which began last spring. —

Paul Berger, WSJ, 20 Mar. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'agreement.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English agrement, borrowed from Anglo-French agreement, agrément, from agreer "to please, consent, agree" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Time Traveler

The first known use of agreement was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Agreement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agreement. Accessed 25 Mar. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

agreement

noun

agree·ment ə-ˈgrē-mənt

: the act of agreeing

: harmony of opinion, action, or character : concord

all are in agreement

: an arrangement or understanding (as a contract or treaty) about action to be taken

: a written record of such an agreement

: the fact of agreeing grammatically

Legal Definition

agreement

noun

agree·ment

: the act or fact of agreeing

by mutual agreement

: unity of opinion, understanding, or intent

especially : the mutual assent of contracting parties to the same terms

if they reach agreement

Note: Under common law, agreement is a necessary element of a valid contract. Under Uniform Commercial Code section 1-201(3), agreement is the bargain of the contracting parties as represented explicitly by their language or implicitly by other circumstances (as a course of dealing).

: an expression (as a settlement, covenant, or contract) of the intent or willingness of two or more parties to bind at least one to terms usually determined by negotiation

an agreement must be sufficiently definite before a court can enforce it—

J. D. Calamari and J. M. Perillo

: the language or instrument embodying such an expression