an agreement or promise, usually formal, between two or more people or groups to do or not do something specified.
Law. a secondary clause in a legal contract.
Ecclesiastical. a solemn agreement between the members of a Christian church to act together in harmony with the precepts of the gospel.
History/Historical. Covenant,
Bible.
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.
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.
Law.
a formal agreement of legal validity, especially one under seal.
an early English form of lawsuit involving sealed contracts.
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.
to stipulate or specify in a contract.
The covenanted price has been paid.
a binding agreement; contract
law
an agreement in writing under seal, as to pay a stated annual sum to a charity
a particular clause in such an agreement, esp in a lease
(in early English law) an action in which damages were sought for breach of a sealed agreement
Bible God's promise to the Israelites and their commitment to worship him alone
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
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Any further increase in leverage or inability to service debt could result in downgraded credit ratings, and liquidity or covenant issues.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 11, 2026
He’s the chief living representative of the new covenant between God and man that allows all to seek forgiveness for their sins.
From Salon ● Apr. 18, 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
There’s no better leading indicator of market psychology than real-time covenant changes, which show where the smart money is quietly hedging.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025
A covenant to make that will save him?
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
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
"The Armed Forces Covenant isn't worth the paper it's written on. Rob was told he wasn't a priority despite all these promises that veterans would get help," she said.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2025
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
Dimon says creditors are making more aggressive and positive assumptions about future performance, covenants are weakening, there’s more use of payment-in-kind, more aggressive private ratings and more arbitrage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026
His most affecting songs, such as River and Wait For You, are covenants of support for a friend who's drowning in their troubles.
From BBC ● Jan. 6, 2025
Such projects require that tenants play a meaningful role in running their properties, encourage tenant ownership and include covenants that keep buildings permanently affordable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2024
With the Covenant Homeownership Program set to launch this summer, potentially hundreds of families could realize the dream denied them, their parents or grandparents because of state-supported restrictive covenants.
From Seattle Times ● May 7, 2024
“We would forfeit the protection afforded by the foundational covenants of the treaty.”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Wright and King addressed covenanted congregations with an indomitable faith.
From Salon ● Mar. 4, 2019
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
No sooner had Ellen covenanted “Thou shalt not!” than off she went on her first adventure,—a trifling one but bleeding.
From The Heart's Country by Vorse, Mary Heaton
"The obligation arises entirely from the act of the creatures, using a divine ordinance, by vowing unto God, and covenanting with him, whereby they bind their souls with a bond to serve the Lord."
From The Ordinance of Covenanting by Cunningham, John
There were three hostile armies to be dealt with, besides—ultimately—the main covenanting army far away in England.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 4 "Grasshopper" to "Greek Language" by Various
Hence it was a custom upon the making up of covenants, for the parties covenanting, soberly to feast together.
From The Covenants And The Covenanters Covenants, Sermons, and Documents of the Covenanted Reformation by Kerr, James
I think you are too nice and covenanting, but for all that you have the spirit of a very pretty gentleman.
From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 10 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis
It is reported to the honour of Judah, in the day of their covenanting with their God; "they had sworn with all their heart, and with their whole desire."
From The Covenants And The Covenanters Covenants, Sermons, and Documents of the Covenanted Reformation by Kerr, James
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.
