Definition of covenantnext
1
as in treaty
a formal agreement between two or more nations or peoples the two countries signed a peace covenant that, it was hoped, would put an end to decades of bitter conflict

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2
3
as in agreement
an arrangement about action to be taken the covenant that existed among neighbors in olden times whereby they would quickly respond to the call to help put out one another's house fires

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1
as in to bargain
to come to an arrangement as to a course of action a traditional rule held that a husband could not enter into a covenant with his wife, because that was the equivalent of covenanting with himself

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2
as in to promise
to make a solemn declaration of intent the home buyers had to covenant that they would restore and keep the house for at least 10 years in exchange for a low mortgage rate

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of covenant
Noun
Printed, copied, and circulated among an extraordinarily literate population, the Constitution executed a covenant and allowed, too, for the exertion of power over vast distances. — Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026 During the last legislative session, Matos succesfully pushed part of his grocery affordability agenda, including a bill to end the practice of restrictive covenants, that stop grocery stores from being able to open. — Wheeler Cowperthwaite, The Providence Journal, 10 Sep. 2026 The school also reclassified some restricted funds to satisfy bond covenants. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 Interim operating covenants laid out in the merger agreement allow for WBD to run itself as an independent entity while the deal moves toward closing. — Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for covenant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covenant
Noun
  • Nonnuclear European countries will have to agree to finance the development and procurement of new missile systems and possibly airplanes (although not nuclear warheads, which would violate their treaty commitments).
    — Ivo H. Daalder, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
  • China does not have a formal extradition treaty with the United States.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • International funding, Patil says, means long waits, complicated contracts and co-production treaties, and Indian filmmakers end up chasing the same grants as professionals from wealthier countries.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Thurman said Life Time has a contract with Freeman Health System for emergency medical services and is set to pay overtime for McDonald County Sheriff's Office deputies working to keep the race safe.
    — Glory Reitz, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Companies are only allowed to disclose them if the agreements are noncancellable.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Of the 13 most competitive Senate races, seven Republicans have expressed skepticism or outright opposition to the agreement that is unlikely to significantly affect high diesel costs contributing to broader inflation.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • As those revenues became scarcer in the years after Proposition 13, which capped annual increases, counties tended to bargain more fiercely, and cities tended to get smaller shares, Laurel previously said.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Another bill, the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, would guarantee for the first time that every public-sector worker in the country has the right to bargain collectively.
    — Liz Shuler, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • For a six-month trial, the company promises that participants will not lose pay or jobs because of the trial.
    — Christoph Trattner, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • While no service can promise to remove all your data from the internet, a data removal service can monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The pact, set up earlier this year, is meant to coordinate defense and security cooperation among the three.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The two firms had announced their partnership in 2021, after the Japanese company's pact with another Indian company, Future Retail, was terminated.
    — Priyanka Salve,Jenny Lee, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Holding an election during the war would be unlawful and Ukraine would need security guarantees to allow for safe voting, Zelenskyy added.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Zelensky added that holding a vote during the war would be unlawful and that Ukraine would need security guarantees to allow people to vote safely.
    — Susie Blann, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In the clip, Affleck and Samuel browsed sneakers at a convention, where Samuel spotted the Dior shoes.
    — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Nearly half the credential problem is a hiring convention rather than a safety rule—and conventions are easier to change.
    — Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Covenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covenant. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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