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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. 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 ² 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 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

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

Now, he’s suing USC for promissory estoppel, fraud, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing and negligent misrepresentation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

One of these said alterations had been "clearly shown" using Google Earth satellite imagery, which Mr Milne said was a "breach of the aforesaid covenant".

From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2025

If politicians, news outlets, and civic organizations adopted a “civic covenant for the AI age,” much like current journalistic standards, could we create a healthier public square?

From Salon ● Nov. 29, 2025

Immigrants who take the oath are pledging loyalty to the covenant.

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

Covenant, a Washington, D.C.-based defense technology startup building long-range precision strike weapons, emerged from stealth with $250 million in funding across three rounds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Correspondence shows the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust also appeared to have concerns about how the money was being spent.

From BBC ● Apr. 22, 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

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

In a decision log, shown to the inquiry, Sanders recorded the need to liaise with the head of corporate communications, Matthew Jarram, to "ascertain what covenants can be imposed on the press".

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026

Other concerns include covenants in Paramount’s offer that Warner said are overbearing and would hurt its ability to operate the company prior to a deal closing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026

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

But Achilles answered, “Madman. There are no covenants between sheep and wolves, nor between you and me.”

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

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

Since Charles II. had come to play the sorry part of a covenanting king in 1650 no sovereign of the country had set foot on Scottish soil.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 7 "Geoponici" to "Germany" by Various

The same year 1640, he was by the covenanting lords sent to London to draw up an accusation against arch-bishop Laud, for the innovations he had obtruded upon the church of Scotland.

From Biographia Scoticana (Scots Worthies) A Brief Historical Account of the Lives, Characters, and Memorable Transactions of the Most Eminent Scots Worthies by John Howie

What seal had your covenanting with God about your child?

From Bertha and Her Baptism by Nehemiah Adams

As well might we find fault with Bruce and Wallace as with our covenanting patriots.

From Hunted and Harried by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne

Watt, son of a Greenock carpenter, came from the sturdy Scottish stock, ultimately of covenanting ancestry, from which so many eminent men have sprung.

From The English Utilitarians, Volume I. by Sir Leslie Stephen

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Related Words

• compact
• convention
• stipulation

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