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• covenant
  covenant

  noun

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

  noun

  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 )

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Covenant entered English through which language?

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covenant

American  

[kuhv-uh-nuhnt] / ˈkʌv ə nənt /

noun

• covenants
  plural

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.

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verb (used with object)

• covenants,
  present (3rd person singular)
• covenanted,
  past participle,  past
• covenanting
  present participle

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)

• covenants,
  present (3rd person singular)
• covenanted,
  past participle,  past
• covenanting
  present participle

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 British  

/ 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 )

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covenant ² British  

/ ˈkʌvənənt /

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

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verb

1. to agree to a covenant (concerning)

covenant Cultural  

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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• covenantal
  adjective
• covenantally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• covenants
  plural

Participles

• covenanting
  present
• covenanted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• covenant
  simple
• covenants
  simple
• have covenanted
  perfect
• has covenanted
  perfect
• am covenanting
  progressive
• are covenanting
  progressive
• is covenanting
  progressive
• have been covenanting
  perfect progressive
• has been covenanting
  perfect progressive

Past

• covenanted
  simple
• had covenanted
  perfect
• was covenanting
  progressive
• were covenanting
  progressive
• had been covenanting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will covenant
  simple
• will have covenanted
  perfect
• will be covenanting
  progressive
• will have been covenanting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of covenant

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”; see convene

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Explanation

A covenant is an agreement between two people, or companies, or even countries. It is formal, solemn, sometimes even sacred. There are some places where you'll hear covenant get used. It's a little old fashioned and formal, but marriage is often referred to as a covenant. The most famous covenant appears in the Bible — God tells a shepherd named Abraham to follow God's instructions in exchange for making Abraham's descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

covenant Covenant covenants covenanted covenanting

Stretched public finances and a rapidly aging population are threatening this covenant, stoking fear and anger across the continent over the future of a cradle-to-grave welfare state voters had long taken for granted.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

The transport company is expected to secure bondholder approval this month to raise debt covenant ratio to 3.0x from 2.5x, easing concerns over potential cash calls.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

The property sits above the street on two lots which have been tied together through a covenant, and has 13,930 square feet of exterior space.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

“Do we think that entering into negotiations with Google, Meta and Amazon are closer to making a covenant with God, or making a deal with the devil?” he asked the council.

From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2026

From the Pilgrims to the founders of the United States and continuing to the present day, the idea of a covenant involving people and God has persisted.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

One such company is Covenant Industries, which tested its Anthem cruise missile in just 13 days after the Army secured them time at the Africa Multidomain Training and Experimentation Center.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Chengdu's Early Rain Covenant Church said this week on its Telegram channel that nine of its members, including senior leaders, had been detained in a "concerted operation", with two others unaccounted for.

From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026

Just weeks ago, Li Yingqiang, the current leader of Early Rain Covenant Church, had said he "sensed a storm gathering" and referred to "the imminent prospect of... another large-scale crackdown".

From BBC ● Jan. 8, 2026

Proceeds from the new recording of “Home Sweet Home” benefit Covenant House, the nonprofit with which the band has partnered for nearly 20 years through its Mötley Crüe Giveback Initiative.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2025

It crops up in the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant books.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Some credit covenants have become “a little too weak,” there’s been a bit too much pump-priming of good assets — “a little too much pushing on it,” Dimon said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

Netflix has no such covenants seeking approval on business matters prior to the deal closing, Warner said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026

"It was probably the covenants that were the important thing," Ian reflected, "because it was something that we were agreeing between us to do, which just binds us that little bit closer together."

From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025

A clause placed in thousands of L.A. property deeds in 1902 restricted housing covenants at the time West Adams Heights and many other L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2025

For example, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all refer to covenants made between God and people.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

A truly covenanted society cannot punish someone who hasn’t been convicted in such a process.

From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2024

They did not abandon the ideals of a covenanted people, but focused more on preserving their own colony than reforming all Christendom.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 18, 2018

It held that the sovereign nation does not start with central government but with the local covenanted community – the foedus – which form networks to constitute the nation.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 8, 2016

“I think the ethically responsible thing for gay and lesbian Christians to do is to form lasting, covenanted partnerships,” Neff said in a statement to CT.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 9, 2015

"And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money."

From The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 4 (of 12) Dresden Edition?Lectures by Robert Green Ingersoll

Behold, a reforming people and a covenanting people.

From The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2) by George Gillespie

And this might suffice to warrant our covenanting to extirpate this prelacy, save that only.

From The Covenants And The Covenanters Covenants, Sermons, and Documents of the Covenanted Reformation by James Kerr

A very lawful, laudable and necessary transaction, founded upon moral equity, and upon the fundamental constitutions of that government, and suitable to the constant practice of their predecessors, in their covenanting with Saul and David.

From A Hind Let Loose Or, An Historical Representation of the Testimonies of the Church of Scotland for the Interest of Christ. With the True State Thereof in All Its Periods by Alexander Shields

But this leaves abundance of precious remnants, as the Shepherd's covenanting friends would have said.

From Essays in English Literature, 1780-1860 by George Saintsbury

There is no reason to suppose that, seeing that sacrifice and covenanting for a vast length of time, were observed together, they were not coeval.

From The Ordinance of Covenanting by John Cunningham

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Related Words

• compact
• convention
• stipulation

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