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
as in contract
a formal agreement to fulfill an obligation
I had to sign a covenant that I would return the rental car on time
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of covenant
Alfredo Sosa, Christian Science Monitor, 18 May 2025
The company disclosed non-compliance with certain financial covenants under its Credit Agreement, which was waived by the lender, and highlighted ongoing efforts to refinance existing debt.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2025
Culture Shift: When Trust Becomes Contagious Upon matriculation, every Hope Forward student signs a covenant, promising to give back to their alma mater every year for the rest of their lives, beginning the year after graduation.
—Matthew Scogin, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
In short, the Catholic Church affirmed that the Jews are part of a living covenant and that antisemitism — including false charges of deicide — are heresy.
—Joshua Stanton, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for covenant
Noun
Racially restrictive neighborhood covenants prohibiting Black or Jewish American buyers, for example, were pioneered in the 1940s by the celebrated local real estate developer J.C. Nichols.
—Alfredo Sosa, Christian Science Monitor, 18 May 2025
The company disclosed non-compliance with certain financial covenants under its Credit Agreement, which was waived by the lender, and highlighted ongoing efforts to refinance existing debt.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2025
Culture Shift: When Trust Becomes Contagious Upon matriculation, every Hope Forward student signs a covenant, promising to give back to their alma mater every year for the rest of their lives, beginning the year after graduation.
—Matthew Scogin, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
In short, the Catholic Church affirmed that the Jews are part of a living covenant and that antisemitism — including false charges of deicide — are heresy.
—Joshua Stanton, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for covenant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covenant
Noun
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These claims put China at odds with several neighbors, including the United States' treaty ally, the Philippines, which has been pushing back against Chinese expansion within its exclusive economic zone.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
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China joins 81 nations that have signed the treaty.—
Troy Aidan Sambajon,
Christian Science Monitor,
16 June 2025
Noun
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Zhou pointed out that besides expanding the range of hedging products for international institutions, those contracts increase the influence of the yuan in the global commodity pricing system.—
Lee Ying Shan,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
25 June 2025
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After joining the Mets on a two-year, $34 million contract in the offseason, Montas went down during spring training with a high-grade right lat strain.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
24 June 2025
Noun
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These issues have driven a cycle of reciprocal tariffs and have made further comprehensive agreements difficult to achieve in recent years.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
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Then, last year, Firefly announced an agreement with the Swedish Space Corporation to launch Alpha from Esrange Space Center as soon as 2026.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 June 2025
Verb
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The sides had bargained on and off for more than a year by then, operating without a contract since November 2022.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
11 June 2025
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What’s next: Backed by the Service Employees International Union, Oakland Assemblymember Buffy Wicks introduced Assembly Bill 1340 that would allow ridesharing drivers to bargain for better pay and benefits and provide more protections for gig workers.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
8 June 2025
Verb
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Its closure would alienate Tehran further How the Israel-Iran standoff took a turn and what's next after a pivotal 24 hours NATO allies promise to hike defense spending — but can they be trusted?—
Victor Loh,
CNBC,
23 June 2025
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While Moscow has condemned the US attack, Russian officials have not publicly promised concrete support beyond offering to act as a mediator in any negotiations.—
Mathias Hammer,
semafor.com,
23 June 2025
Noun
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The meeting did not happen, though Biden was Vice President when then-President Barack Obama negotiated a pact that effectively sidelined Iran’s nuclear program until Trump withdrew from it in 2018.—
Karl Vick,
Time,
23 June 2025
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Remember, Russia signed a non-aggression pact with Adolf Hitler in 1939 that started World War II, then invaded Poland from the east 16 days after Hitler invaded from the west.—
Carl Burdette,
Baltimore Sun,
22 June 2025
Noun
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Cornerback Darious Williams, 32, does not have salary guarantees beyond this season, according to Overthecap.com.—
Gary Klein,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
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Al Hilal’s first attack was straight out of the Lazio playbook: a long ball from the back for Milinkovic-Savic to win, a near guarantee of beating the press and turning opponents on their heels.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Noun
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Kove also made headlines earlier this week following an incident that occurred at a fan convention in Puyallup, Wash.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
27 June 2025
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That video led to a call from the CEO, a trip to the Magic Live convention in Las Vegas, and a surreal encounter.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Covenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covenant. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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