treaty

American  

[tree-tee] / ˈtri ti /

noun

plural

treaties

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• nontreaty
  noun
• treatyless
  adjective

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

The Treaty of Paris, which ended the war with Great Britain.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

Mosby said the couple were also very interested in Victoria's Treaty process.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

She pointed to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, a keystone document on international space law that President Lyndon Johnson signed onto.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was founded by liberal democracies in 1949 in response to the threat posed by the Soviet Union.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

At the nub of his opposition to Jay’s Treaty, then, was his utter certainty that it threw the weight of the United States onto the wrong side of history.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis