contract under seal
- noun
- Formal
:
contrato bajo sello
- In some jurisdictions, a contract under seal does not require consideration to be enforceable.
Examples
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The company signed a contract under seal for the new project.
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The purchase agreement was made as a contract under seal, giving it stronger legal force.
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Historically, a contract under seal indicated the solemn intent of the parties involved.
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A contract under seal is often required for real estate transactions.
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The agreement became legally binding once it was classified as a contract under seal.
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In many cases, a contract under seal requires a witness to verify the signature.
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The company finalized the merger with a contract under seal to ensure its legitimacy.
Synonyms
A formal agreement signed and sealed by the people involved, often with a wax seal
A formal contract with a wax or raised mark that shows it is real
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally transparent: a B1 learner who knows 'contract' (written agreement), 'under' (in the state of or subject to), and 'seal' (official stamp) can infer it means a contract that has been sealed. They may not grasp the precise legal consequences of 'under seal' but will understand the basic idea of a contract bearing an official seal.
Etymology
Contract under seal comes from the old way of pressing a wax seal onto a paper to show a promise was real and serious. Because the paper had that seal, people treated the agreement as more 'formal' and with more 'legal force', so the phrase means a specially strong, sealed contract.
