agreeance

[ uh-gree-uhns ]

/ əˈgri əns /

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noun Now Rare.

the act or state of agreeing; agreement.

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of agreeance

First recorded in 1540–50; agree + -ance

historical usage of agreeance

Agreeance is a word that seems to be continually reinvented and recycled. The term first appeared in the 16th century and enjoyed its greatest popularity in the 18th and early to mid-19th centuries. Since then it has fallen into disuse. Most likely unaware of the word's history, modern writers who recoin the term seem to like how it sounds, even though it adds nothing in meaning to its workhorse counterpart, agreement. The suffix ‐ance indeed is used in English to form many nouns from verbs: for example, appearance, acceptance, performance, and remittance. So while there is no rule preventing the formation agree + -ance, the coinage may sound quaint or pretentious to some people.

Words nearby agreeance

agravic, agréation, agree, agreeable, agreeableness, agreeance, agreed, agreement, agrégé, agrément, agrestal