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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
Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
The pact, part of a realignment of MLB’s sports-rights relationships gives ESPN purview over thousands of games that are made available to fans outside a specific home team’s market — widely seen as some of the most passionate and enthusiastic among followers of the national pastime.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026
The United States this year is negotiating a renewal of a pact Trump reached with those two countries in his first term.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
Trout is signed through the 2030 season after inking the 12-year pact ahead of the 2019 season.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 17 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Pact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pact. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pact
nounMiddle English pact "agreement," from early French pact (same meaning), from Latin pactum (same meaning), derived from pacisci "to agree, contract"
