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Pact has "peace" at its root because a pact often ends a period of unfriendly relations. The word is generally used in the field of international relations, where diplomats may speak of an "arms pact", a "trade pact", or a "fishing-rights pact". But it may also be used for any solemn agreement or promise between two people; after all, whenever two parties shake hands on a deal, they're not about to go to war with each other.
Examples of pact in a Sentence
Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
However, in August, Carney announced exemptions for goods covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada trade pact.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2025
That comes after OpenAI's $100 billion pact with Nvidia.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2025
The company also has agreements with firms including Nvidia and Oracle — pacts that have raised fears of an AI bubble.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pact. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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pact
nounMiddle English pact "agreement," from early French pact (same meaning), from Latin pactum (same meaning), derived from pacisci "to agree, contract"
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