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Glite Dictionary
to sign a treaty

to sign a treaty

23 3.2
Officially agree to a written deal between countries by putting your name on it
  • phrasal verb
  • Formal
translation icon : firmar un tratado
  • They need her to sign a treaty to make this invasion legal.
  • sign a peace treaty
  • sign an international treaty
  • sign a biodiversity treaty

We also signed a treaty, the Antarctica Treaty.

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Examples

  • Should they, for instance, sign an international treaty with binding commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

    Academic text (1997)

  • President Clinton has signed the treaty, but Congress has not ratified it.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Russia would not sign a treaty, but would also not fight.

  • We have that opportunity because we have signed a treaty.

    The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)

  • There is no doubt that a combination of factors urged Jordan to sign a peace treaty with Israel.

    Academic text (1995)

  • We also signed a treaty, the Antarctica Treaty.

    Shawn Ryan Show

  • Let's sign a treaty!

    Criminal Activities (2015)

  • Spain and England signed a treaty in 1817, expanded in 1835, making the slave trade illegal.

    Academic text (2017)

  • In 2000, the two countries signed the Jeddah treaty, which, in theory, demarcated the border definitively.

    Academic text (2012)

  • The heads of state agreed to sign a treaty to end the long-standing conflict.

Synonyms

to sign
vsto sign a treaty
∞ 1.0

To write your name on a paper to show you agree

is specifically about endorsing international agreements rather than any written acceptance
to sign off
vsto sign a treaty
95 3.9

To give official approval, usually by writing your name on a document

is specific to formally endorsing international agreements rather than general approvals
to ratify
vsto sign a treaty
  • Formal
70 6.0

Officially approve an agreement, law, or decision

focuses on formally endorsing an international agreement to make its terms official
to seal the deal
vsto sign a treaty
  • Informal
22 4.0

Make an agreement official by accepting its final terms

is the formal endorsement of an international agreement not just finalizing any deal
to sign on the dotted line
vsto sign a treaty
10 4.3

Officially agree to something by writing your name on a document

focuses on endorsing an international agreement rather than any ordinary document
to ink
vsto sign a treaty
  • Literature
5 5.8

To sign a contract or agreement formally

focuses on endorsing an international agreement rather than any contract
to vise
vsto sign a treaty
  • Formal
9.1

To approve a document, usually by signing or stamping it

is limited to endorsing international agreements rather than general document approval

Antonyms

to reject
839 1.9

Refuse to accept someone or something

How Final

to sign a treaty
  • Formal
23 3.2
to seal the deal
  • Informal
22 4.0
to close
∞ 1.0
to agree
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

sign a treaty infinitive
signed a treaty past
signed a treaty past participle
signing a treaty present participle
signs a treaty third person singular

Morphology

sign + a + treaty

The meaning 'to formally agree to and endorse a treaty by signing it' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'sign' (to affix a signature) with 'treaty' (a formal agreement); the determiner 'a' does not alter the compositional meaning. This is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common verb + object construction that a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily understand.

Etymology

Sign a treaty comes from the simple act of leaders putting their name on a paper that shows what both sides promise. When leaders sign the treaty by putting their names or seals at the end, they make the deal 'official', so the phrase means to formally agree to the treaty.