treaty

noun

trea·​ty ˈtrē-tē How to pronounce treaty (audio)
plural treaties
1
a
: an agreement or arrangement made by negotiation:
(1)
: a contract in writing between two or more political authorities (such as states or sovereigns) formally signed by representatives duly authorized and usually ratified by the lawmaking authority of the state
b
: a document in which such a contract is set down
2
: the action of treating and especially of negotiating

Examples of treaty in a Sentence

a nuclear test ban treaty in accordance with a treaty between the United States and the tribes of the Pacific Northwest, commercial fishing of certain kinds of salmon is limited to Native Americans
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Had such divisions been overcome, the treaty would have been one of the most significant deals relating to environmental protection since the 2015 Paris Agreement. Joyce Lee and Valerie Volcovici, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2024 Entrenched divisions Had such divisions been overcome, the treaty would have been one of the most significant deals relating to environmental protection since the 2015 Paris Agreement. Reuters, CNN, 1 Dec. 2024 Currently, for any proposal to make it into the treaty, every nation must agree to it. Jennifer McDermott, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2024 The Budapest Memorandum, a further multilateral agreement affirming Ukraine's security and sovereignty in exchange for giving up the nuclear stocks following its accession to the treaty, was signed in December. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for treaty 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English trete, from Anglo-French treté, from past participle of treter to discuss, treat

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of treaty was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near treaty

Cite this Entry

“Treaty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treaty. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

treaty

noun
trea·​ty ˈtrēt-ē How to pronounce treaty (audio)
plural treaties
: an agreement or arrangement made by negotiation
especially : one between two or more states or rulers

Legal Definition

treaty

noun
trea·​ty
plural treaties
1
: the action of treating and especially of negotiating
2
: an agreement or arrangement made by negotiation: as
b
: a contract in writing between two or more political authorities (as states or sovereigns) formally signed by representatives duly authorized and usually ratified by the lawmaking authority of the state
the President…shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treatiesU.S. Constitution art. II
compare executive agreement
3
: a document embodying a negotiated agreement or contract
4
: an agreement or contract (as between companies) providing for treaty reinsurance
Etymology

Anglo-French treté, from Middle French traité, from Medieval Latin tractatus, from Latin, handling, treatment, from tractare to treat, handle

More from Merriam-Webster on treaty

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