treaty

American  

[tree-tee] / ˈtri ti /

noun

• treaties
  plural

1. a formal agreement between two or more states in reference to peace, alliance, commerce, or other international relations.

2. the formal document embodying such an international agreement.

3. any agreement or compact.

---

treaty British  

/ ˈtriːtɪ /

noun

1. 1. a formal agreement or contract between two or more states, such as an alliance or trade arrangement

   2. the document in which such a contract is written

2. any international agreement

3. any pact or agreement

4. an agreement between two parties concerning the purchase of property at a price privately agreed between them

5. archaic negotiation towards an agreement

6. 1. any of the formal agreements between Indian bands and the federal government by which the Indians surrender their land rights in return for various forms of aid

   2. ( as modifier )

      treaty Indians

      treaty money

7. an obsolete word for entreaty

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nontreaty
  noun
• treatyless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• treaties
  plural

Etymology

Origin of treaty

1350–1400; Middle English trete < Anglo-French < Latin tractātus tractate

Compare meaning

How does treaty compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• executive agreement vs. treaty
• armistice vs. treaty

Explanation

When a war ends, often two countries will sign a treaty, which is a contract where both sides agree to behave a certain way. Treaties are used for many reasons, like creating alliances or preventing nuclear weapons from being built. The Latin root of treaty is tractare, which means “handle.” When two nations sign a treaty, they decide to handle things according to rules defined in their agreement. However, treaties are not always permanent, and can be broken if one side changes their mind. When white Europeans were settling in the United States, they made many treaties with Native Americans, and every single treaty was eventually broken, some even less than a day later.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

treaty treaties

Up until the U.S. withdrew following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, a Cold War-era treaty strictly limited antiballistic missile defense capabilities to maintain the equilibrium between the two superpowers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The two Koreas are technically still at war since they did not sign a peace treaty after the Korean War.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

The United States signed the Rome Statute establishing the ICC but never ratified the treaty.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

Hannover Re said treaty volumes increased by 12%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

On June 22, 1941, Hitler broke a peace treaty and invaded the Soviet Union, sending his army storming across the huge nation in a battlefront that stretched for over a thousand miles.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

A supermajority requirement would apply only to constitutional amendments and ratifying treaties.

From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026

Marshals Service said the “arrests were made in accordance with the treaties and law enforcement agreements governing Justice Department extraditions.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

For example, the U.S. may have tax treaties with certain countries, and these deals may feature carve-outs on money paid to athletes.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

Three such treaties encompass most of Alberta, of 11 numbered treaties in Canada.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Had he learned to read the words of the treaties so that his people could not be cheated of land?

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich