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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
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
The cap situation was tight heading into the offseason, and things got more restrictive when Trent Frederic and Evan Bouchard signed long-term pacts.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
That pact, which went into effect in 2020, is up for renegotiation next year.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
Apple will pay an average of approximately $150 million annually to Formula 1 under the pact, valuing it at about $750 million over the term, according to a source with direct knowledge of the agreement.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pact. Accessed 23 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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