treaty

[tree-tee]

See more synonyms for treaty on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural trea·ties.

a formal agreement between two or more states in reference to peace, alliance, commerce, or other international relations.
the formal document embodying such an international agreement.
any agreement or compact.

Origin of treaty

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

Related formsnon·trea·ty, noun, plural non·trea·ties.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for treaty

pact, compact, accord, alliance, league, deal, bargain, reconciliation, sanction, concord, charter, negotiation, understanding, cartel, covenant, arrangement, convention, entente, settlement, bond

Examples from the Web for treaty

Contemporary Examples of treaty

Start out with that so you understand what happened, beginning with the Treaty of Westphalia.
McCain’s 13 Favorite Soldiers
Sandra McElwaine
November 11, 2014
Treaty compliance issues are the purview of the State Department.
Pentagon Moves to Block Russian Spy Plane in American Skies
Eli Lake
April 18, 2014
The 300 year anniversary of the treaty that joined Ukraine to Russia was a happy coincidence, he said.
Khrushchev’s Son: “Russia Will Never Surrender”
Josh Rogin
April 2, 2014
The Treaty of Detroit, and the general idea that management should make peace with labor, was and is anathema to these people.
Can a Senator Stop a Union? Bob Corker Is Certainly Trying
Michael Tomasky
February 14, 2014
The Daily Beast first reported in November that the U.S. government believes Russia has breached its treaty obligations.
Russian Foreign Minister: We Can’t Get Assad to Do Anything
Josh Rogin
February 1, 2014

Historical Examples of treaty

A treaty was framed, and at first rejected by the United States Senate.
The Nation in a Nutshell
George Makepeace Towle
He is now actually in treaty for an inn, which will do his business for life.
Clarissa, Volume 3 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
Action on this treaty is expected to take place in about ten years.
Punchinello, Vol. 1, No. 3, April 16, 1870
Various
This island had been restored to France by the Treaty of Amiens.
The History of the First West India Regiment
A. B. Ellis
The treaty, as it transpires, is the source of general cavil.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 59, No. 364, February 1846
Various

British Dictionary definitions for treaty

treaty

noun plural -ties

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
any international agreement
any pact or agreement
an agreement between two parties concerning the purchase of property at a price privately agreed between them
archaic negotiation towards an agreement
(in Canada)
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
an obsolete word for entreaty

Derived Formstreatyless, adjective

Word Origin for treaty

C14: from Old French traité, from Medieval Latin tractātus treaty, from Latin: discussion, from tractāre to manage; see treat

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for treaty

late 14c., "treatment, discussion," from Old French traité "assembly, agreement, treaty," from Latin tractatus "discussion, handling," from tractare "to handle, manage" (see treat). Sense of "contract between nations" is first recorded early 15c.