ironclad agreement
1
4.6
- noun
- /ˈaɪərnˌklæd əˈɡriːmənt/
:
acuerdo inquebrantable
Examples
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There is an ironclad agreement... between federal, state and local governments and the Airports Commission.
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The two companies reached an ironclad agreement that protects both their interests and prevents any future disputes.
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After extensive negotiations, the teams finally established an ironclad agreement that ensures cooperation for years to come.
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The ironclad agreement between the union and the management guarantees all workers' rights and benefits without exception.
Synonyms
34
3.2
An agreement that cannot be changed
Fixed and not open to change, often about rules or positions
An agreement that is sure not to fail
Required by law and able to be enforced
Antonyms
How Secure
1
4.6
- Formal
3
2.7
- Formal
∞
1.4
1
3.3
3
3.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is compositionally predictable: an adjective meaning 'unable to be broken or altered' (ironclad) directly modifies 'agreement', so a learner who knows both constituents can infer a firm, unbreakable contract. This adjectival + noun pattern is a straightforward semantic composition and is cross-linguistically common, making it transparent to B1 learners who know the parts.
Etymology
Ironclad agreement comes from old warships called ironclads, which were covered in iron plates and were very hard to damage. So an ironclad agreement means an agreement that is 'very firm' and 'hard to change' or break.