concordat
Americannoun
-
an agreement or compact, especially an official one.
-
an agreement between the pope and a secular government regarding the regulation of church matters.
noun
Other Word Forms
- concordatory adjective
Etymology
Origin of concordat
1610–20; < French; replacing concordate < Medieval Latin concordātum, Latin: neuter of concordātus, past participle of concordāre to be in agreement. See concord, -ate 1
Explanation
A concordat is an agreement between parties, especially between nations or between a church and a nation. A concordat is official, written, and signed. When there is concord, there is agreement. That can help you remember that a concordat is a type of agreement between two or more parties. The earliest concordats were between the Roman Catholic Church and various governments, but a concordat can exist between any two entities, including two nations. When there's a concordat, the parties sign a contract and agree to do something. A treaty is a type of concordat.
Vocabulary lists containing concordat
Liberty, Equality, Vocabulary: The French Revolution
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The French Revolution
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Medieval Europe - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
According to McAleese’s account, Angelo Sodano, then Vatican secretary of state, “indicated he would like, and the Vatican would like, an agreement with Ireland, a concordat with Ireland”.
From The Guardian • Aug. 7, 2018
Animal Research Openness Agreement, which if formalized would bind signatories to be more candid about the animal research they do, much like the U.K. concordat.
From Science Magazine • Jun. 26, 2018
The concordat was a narrow, self-protecting measure, but was seen by some as limiting the effectiveness of the church in fighting Nazism.
From US News • Sep. 24, 2015
While the constitution stipulates a separation between church and state, a 2002 concordat defined this relationship by granting the Church official recognition in Georgia and a special consultative role in the government, particularly in education.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2013
A campaign began in the papers to cancel the concordat with the Vatican.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
