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treaty

treaty

509 4.1
A written agreement between countries about peace, trade or other relations
  • noun
  • /ˈtriːti/
  • Formal
translation icon : tratado
  • In 1994, the United States and Jordan signed a historic treaty that improved their diplomatic relations.
  • peace treaty
  • sign a treaty
  • ratify a treaty

We had a treaty known as the START treaty.

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Examples

  • The peace dividend to Jordan from its 1994 peace treaty with Israel has been minimal.

    Academic text (1999)
  • The majority of Cherokees rejected the treaty as fraudulent and the sale illegal.

    Academic text (2011)
  • We had a treaty known as the START treaty.

  • And so the global treaty, as I said, was last year.

  • I'm proud to say our treaty will finally be signed.

  • Meanwhile, just seven years later, the US broke the treaty after an expedition found gold in the Black Hills.

  • But the real world works in such a way that treaties matter, that international law matters.

  • They've asked me to negotiate a peace treaty.

  • The Versailles Treaty, signed in June, imposes harsh terms on Germany.

  • Almost immediately after having signed the treaty, Germany sought ways of circumventing its disarmament clauses.

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

contract
vstreaty
2.8

A written agreement between people or companies that the law can enforce

is focused on official intergovernmental written relations rather than general contracts
agreement
vstreaty
  • Formal
1.4

A promise made between two or more people, often written

is specifically a formal state-level written arrangement focused on relations
pact
vstreaty
  • Formal
148 3.4

An agreement between two or more countries to work together

is the general state-to-state written agreement rather than a specific alliance
convention
vstreaty
  • Specialized
114 4.1

An international agreement that countries sign to set common rules

is the more formal and binding state-level written arrangement
accord
vstreaty
  • Formal
64 6.0

An official written agreement between countries

is the standard formal written document used across international relations
covenant
vstreaty
  • Formal
44 7.2

A formal written agreement between groups such as countries and companies to promise to do something or stop doing something

is used more widely for official state agreements rather than private promises
peace treaty
vstreaty
  • Formal
31 3.0

A formal agreement to stop a war and start peaceful relations

is a broader formal written agreement covering various international relations
compact
vstreaty
  • Formal
17 6.5

A written promise between groups or nations about what they will and will not do

is the common official document used for international relations broadly
written agreement
vstreaty
  • Formal
3 2.7

A document that writes down what two or more people agree to

is the specific type of international written document between states
entente
vstreaty
1 8.9

An informal agreement between countries to work together

is a formal written state-level instrument rather than an informal understanding

Compounds

peace treaty
  • Formal
31 3.0

A formal agreement to stop a war and start peaceful relations

1 4.1

An agreement signed in 1949 where countries promise to defend each other and form NATO

A group of European and North American countries that work together for military defence

A 1919 peace treaty that ended World War I and made Germany give up land and pay money

A 1929 agreement that makes Vatican City an independent state

5.1

An agreement between countries about trade rules and taxes

private treaty
  • Specialized
7.2

A sale of property agreed directly between buyer and seller without an auction

treaty port
  • Archaic
9.3

A port in China, Korea, or Japan opened to foreign trade by treaty in the 1800s and early 1900s

How Binding

treaty
  • Formal
509 4.1
alliance
832 4.0
pact
  • Formal
148 3.4
convention
  • Specialized
114 4.1
agreement
  • Formal
1.4

Surface Forms

treaty singular
treaties plural

Morphology

treaty = treat (semi-transparent) = treat + y

Historically formed from 'treat' + '-y' and related to the sense 'to negotiate', but the modern noun 'treaty' (a formal international agreement) is not an immediately obvious derivation for many learners.

Etymology

Treaty comes from the same root as treat, which originally meant 'to handle' or 'to deal with' in talks between people. So a treaty is a formal 'deal' where countries 'handle' their problems and agree on rules.