covenant

[kuhv-uh-nuhnt]

noun

1. an agreement or promise, usually formal, between two or more people or groups to do or not do something specified.

   Synonyms: convention, pact, treaty

2. Law.,  a secondary clause in a legal contract.

3. Ecclesiastical.,  a solemn agreement between the members of a Christian church to act together in harmony with the precepts of the gospel.

4. History/Historical.,  Covenant,

   1. National Covenant.

   2. Solemn League and Covenant.

5. Bible.

   1. any of the promises made by God at different times, such as those made to Noah, Abraham, or David and their descendants, or the new covenant inaugurated by Christ.

   2. the agreement between God and the ancient Israelites, in which God promised to bless and protect them if they faithfully kept the law God gave them.

6. Law.

   1. a formal agreement of legal validity, especially one under seal.

   2. an early English form of lawsuit involving sealed contracts.

7. Covenant of the League of Nations.

verb (used with object)

1. to agree or promise, as in a contract or covenant; pledge (usually followed byto ).

   In our marriage vows, we covenanted to take care of each other in all circumstances.

2. to stipulate or specify in a contract.

   The covenanted price has been paid.

verb (used without object)

1. to enter into an agreement or covenant.

   When we take the pledge, we do not covenant with an institution or with an ideal, but with each other.

covenant

¹

/ ˈkʌvənənt, ˌkʌvəˈnæntəl /

noun

1. a binding agreement; contract

2. law

   1. an agreement in writing under seal, as to pay a stated annual sum to a charity

   2. a particular clause in such an agreement, esp in a lease

3. (in early English law) an action in which damages were sought for breach of a sealed agreement

4. Bible God's promise to the Israelites and their commitment to worship him alone

verb

1. to agree to a covenant (concerning)

Covenant

²

/ ˈkʌvənənt /

noun

1. history any of the bonds entered into by Scottish Presbyterians to defend their religion, esp one in 1638 ( National Covenant ) and one of 1643 ( Solemn League and Covenant )

covenant

1. Literally, a contract. In the Bible (see also Bible), an agreement between God and his people, in which God makes promises to his people and, usually, requires certain conduct from them. In the Old Testament, God made agreements with Noah, Abraham, and Moses. To Noah, he promised that he would never again destroy the Earth with a flood. He promised Abraham that he would become the ancestor of a great nation, provided Abraham went to the place God showed him and sealed the covenant by circumcision of all the males of the nation. To Moses, God said that the Israelites would reach the Promised Land but must obey the Mosaic law. In the New Testament, God promised salvation (see also salvation) to those who believe in Jesus.

Other Word Forms

• covenantal adjective
• covenantally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of covenant¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, noun use of convenant, covenant “agreeing, fitting,” present participle of convenir, covenir “to agree, meet, suit,” from Latin convenīre “to be suitable, come together”; convene

Word History and Origins

Origin of covenant¹

C13: from Old French, from covenir to agree, from Latin convenīre to come together, make an agreement; see _convene

Example Sentences

Others seek to carve out a special kind of marriage called “covenant marriage,” which would be restricted to one man and one woman.

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There’s no better leading indicator of market psychology than real-time covenant changes, which show where the smart money is quietly hedging.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

County Superior Court Judge Terry Bork directed the company to shut down the scrap yard for good and sign a land covenant that would prohibit future recycling on the site.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Until one day I heard about racial covenants in Los Angeles real estate.

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Article 6 of the covenant holds: “Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.”

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• compact 
• convention 
• stipulation