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
Reasonable covenants requiring native plants, limiting turfgrass and encouraging renewable energy can produce positive changes in neighborhood landscapes. Daniel Kramer, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026 Covenant Between the University and Society Perhaps most at risk is the long-standing covenant between the university and society. Daniel Diermeier, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 His resulting exploration tracks the ways in which Black residents were effectively segregated, through racial covenants and redlining, and overpoliced. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 Your book deals with a piece of legislation called the Rumford Act that would tear down the city’s racist racial housing covenants in 1963, but the act in ’62 had enemies in high places, namely Mayor Sam Yorty and his power base. Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for covenant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covenant
Noun
  • That help for Russia now comes with a mutual defense treaty inked two years ago with Vladimir Putin.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • As South Korea and Japan contemplate acquiring the bomb, the START treaty has expired, and China won't negotiate on arms control.
    Editorial Board, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • In May, Peevy was given a contract extension through 2031, the financial terms of which have not been disclosed.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Democratic members of the Public Service Commission, the state’s energy regulator, say the contract is risky for Georgia’s residential customers.
    AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The agreement Hansen describes would be a much larger legal matter than a standard screening NDA, and would not be asked of other individuals screening the film — including press and third-party marketing agencies.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Other notable laws passed this legislative session included a ban on 287(g) agreements and the Maryland Community Trust Act.
    Dennis Valera, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The Teamsters have been enthusiastically endorsing the bill specifically because, while 40-something employers would be difficult to collectively bargain against, DSP workers would be much easier to organize once within Amazon.
    Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The California Gig Workers Union hopes to begin bargaining by the end of the year, CalMatters reported.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The trailer also promises to touch on how then-contemporary thoughts of women as too innocent to murder helped Lizzie get acquitted, and teases the incorporation of other stories of female killers throughout history.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The fabric makeup of rayon, polyester, and spandex also promises four-way stretch for easy movement, too.
    Carly Totten, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • That means even products that otherwise qualify for preferential treatment under the North American trade pact could have been included in these duties.
    Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The countries have held joint military drills and signed a nuclear power development pact and agreed to cooperate in human space flight projects including the selection and training of Myanmar’s first cosmonaut.
    ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Past performance is no guarantee of future results, remember.
    Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Adult usage is holding steady, and there’s no guarantee that young people will continue abstaining.
    Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, The Conversation, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Instead of following the hypercar convention of using a carbon-fiber monocoque, Okuyama selected an aluminum spaceframe.
    Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Yet Saint-Tropez remains stubbornly itself, with social rituals and unspoken conventions that aren't always obvious at first.
    Lanie Goodman, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Covenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covenant. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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